ISSN 0317-4670 PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA SERVICES FOR PEOPLE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES HON. WILLIAM N. VANDER ZALM 1976 With Fiscal Addendum April 1, 1975, to March 31, 1976 Victoria, B.C., April 1977 To Colonel the Honourable Walter Stewart Owen, Q.C, LL.D., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province oj British Columbia. May it please Your Honour: The Annual Report of the Ministry of Human Resources for the calendar year 1976, with fiscal addendum April 1, 1975, to March 31, 1976, is herewith respectfully submitted. WILLIAM N. VANDER ZALM Minister oj Human Resources Office oj the Minister oj Human Resources, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. Ministry of Human Resources Victoria, B.C., April 1977 The Honourable William N. Vander Zalm, Minister oj Human Resources, Victoria, B.C. Sir: I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Ministry of Human Resources for the calendar year 1976, with fiscal addendum April 1, 1975, to March 31, 1976. JOHN NOBLE Deputy Minister of Human Resources SERVICES FOR PEOPLE FOREWORD The Annual Report has been organized to provide information on the most important programs offered by the Ministry. An introductory section outlines administrative and organizational characteristics of the Ministry. Programs are discussed under the following four headings: Services for Families and Children. Services for Everyone. Services for Special Needs. Services for Senior Citizens. The programs are reported on according to their goals and how these goals are achieved. Important changes in 1976 are discussed, as is cost-sharing with the Federal Government. It is hoped this format will be useful in providing an understanding of what the Ministry of Human Resources is attempting to do in co-operation with the people of British Columbia. This Report is for the calendar year 1976. The Ministry has been reporting on the January 1 to December 31 calendar year basis for the past three years. Because formal accounting in the Ministry is done on a fiscal year basis, the calendar year figures must be estimates in some instances. These figures have the advantage of showing trends, but fiscal year figures are also printed as official year- end totals. A fiscal addendum, at the end of the Report, provides further tables on statistics for the 1975/76 fiscal year period. A special note on cost-sharing — Municipalities at present cost-share in social assistance programs, day care subsidies, health care programs, maintenance of dependent children, homemaker service, and adult care. In 1975, municipalities were charged $27,634,910, or approximately 10 per cent of the cost of these programs. Throughout this Report we refer to cost-sharing between the Federal and Provincial Governments; it must be remembered that, for the programs mentioned above, municipal sharing is part of the Provincial contribution. SERVICES FOR PEOPLE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Highlights of 1976 11 Ministerial Expenditures, 1976 12 Administration and Organization Introduction 17 Regional Map 18 Personnel Activities 19 Accounting and Budget 20 Office Administration and Public Information 21 Staff Development 21 Research 21 Ministerial Inspectors Program 22 Ministry Evaluation Team 24 Services for Families and Children Preventive and Protective Services for Children and Their Families 27 Day Care—A Preventive Service 32 Special Services to Children and Their Families . 38 Youth Hostel Program 39 Child Care Resources—Introduction 41 Foster Homes 42 Therapeutic Homes 43 Group Homes 44 Specialized Residential Treatment Programs 45 Adoption 46 Services for Everyone Income Assistance 53 Employment Services 56 Repatriation 58 Homemaker/Housekeeper Services 59 Counselling 62 Community Advisory Committees 65 Vancouver Resources Board 66 Health Care Services. 66 Burials 68 Community Grants 69 V 10 HUMAN RESOURCES Services for Special Needs Page GAIN (Guaranteed Available Income for Need) for Handicapped Persons 79 Achievement Centres 80 Educational Upgrading and Vocational Training 84 Work Activity Projects 85 Incentive Opportunities Program 87 Community Involvement Program 88 Services for the Retarded (Woodlands, Tranquille, and Glendale) 88 Children's Rehabilitation Services 91 Meals on Wheels 95 Hostels and Transition Houses 96 Halfway Houses 96 Services for Senior Citizens GAIN (Guaranteed Available Income for Need) for Seniors and Handicapped Persons 99 Senior Citizens Counsellor Service 102 B.C. Hydro Bus Pass for Seniors and Handicapped Persons 104 Adult Care 104 Pharmacare 106 Community Grants to Projects for Senior Citizens 108 Legislation 109 Fiscal Addendum, 1975/76 111 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 11 HIGHLIGHTS OF 1976 By John Noble, Deputy Minister You will note that this is the first report of the Ministry of Human Resources; the change from Department to Ministry occurred in the fall of 1976. For convenience, we have listed certain items here, all of which are the subject of more complete comment elsewhere in the Report! • On December 22, 1975, the Honourable William N. Vander Zalm became the Minister of Human Resources, and, during the year, several initiatives were undertaken. • Program responsibility and the 49 employees of the Alcohol and Drug Commission were transferred to the Ministry of Health. • The administrative costs of social services in the eight Lower Mainland municipalities were assumed by the Ministry, completing the program that began in 1969, of transferring responsibility of local social service departments to the Provincial Ministry. • To improve the level of accountability, two new divisions were established. The Evaluation Team was established to undertake a Ministry-wide review of the service delivery system with the expectation that their socio-economic audits would assist in evaluating systems, procedures and policies and their effectiveness in assuring the intent of Government policies. Ministry Inspectors were appointed in each region, to assist those responsible for administering income maintenance services, to detect fraudulent activities as these occur, and particularly to prevent them from occurring. • To assist income assistance recipients, the handicapped, and other marginally employable persons find work and independence, a Province-wide job-finding program was established. The Provincial Rehabilitation and Employment Program works closely with Canada Manpower, employers, and the Ministry. • The reader will notice a dramatic increase in reported child abuse incidents, but we believe improved public awareness and legislated changes of the previous year accelerated and improved reporting of incidents. • The number of children in care reached its lowest level in six years, reflecting increased and continuing effort to keep families together and children in their own homes. • New Guaranteed Available Income for Need regulations came into effect. • For the second year in a row, total income assistance costs declined, reflecting a drop in applicants. • A new, more equitable formula for financing achievement centres to serve the handicapped was established, improving the funding by the Ministry of most centres. • This report marks the first by myself as Deputy Minister. In September 1976, James H. Sadler retired as Deputy Minister. His social service career with the Province began in the depression years and, except for his war-time army service, continued over 39 years. V 12 HUMAN RESOURCES MINISTERIAL EXPENDITURES, 1976 Figure 1 General Administration 0.8% $4.1 Other Programs 2.3% $11.0 Field Service 3.1% $14.8 Special Programs for the Retarded 6.3% $30.4 Medical Services and Pharmacare 7.2% $34.7 Income Assistance—Basic assistance, low-income supplement. GAIN—Handicapped, age 60-64 years, age 65 years and over. Child Care—Group, receiving, and foster homes; treatment resources; day care; special services to children. Medical Services and Pharmacare—Drugs, dental, optical, medical, medical transportation, emergency health aid. Special Programs for the Retarded—Residential programs at Woodlands, Tranquille, Glendale, and other institutions. Adult Care—Personal, intermediate, and nursing-home care. Community Grants—Grants to community-based, non-profit societies. Field Service—Direct field staff expenses. Other Programs—Burials, transportation, repatriation, special needs, housekeeper, homemaker, work activity projects. General Administration—Headquarters, administrative and support services, office expenses for all staff. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 13 The Ministry of Human Resources provides a wide range of services to families and children, and those disadvantaged because of age, handicap, and unemployment. Expenditures for the calendar year 1976 totalled $482.5 million. Table 1 illustrates a comparison of expenditures from 1972/73 through 1976. Table 1—Ministry oj Human Resources Gross Expenditures— Comparison oj Fiscal Years 1972/73 to 1975/76 and Calendar Year 1976 1976 ($ millions) 482.5 1975/76 ($ millions) 474.8 1974/75 ($ millions) 382.6 1973/74 ($ millions) 264.6 1972/73 ($ millions) 172.2 The Federal Government continued to contribute a significant proportion of Ministry operating costs, under an agreement with the Provinces provided for in the Canada Assistance Plan (C.A.P.) Act of 1967. According to the terms of the Canada Assistance Plan, the Province can claim 50 per cent of expenditures on income maintenance and social service benefits, providing they are administered according to predetermined and agreed policies, which includes an individual needs test of each individual or family applicant. Naturally, the provinces continue to negotiate toward optimum sharing and, because the Federal legislation sets no ceiling on the amount they will share, their sharing of costs has been increasing. However, only some programs are shareable. For instance, income assistance and child welfare services are shareable, but the Guaranteed Available Income for Need payments to persons 60 years and over are only partially shareable, and the GAIN payments to persons receiving Old Age Security and the Pharmacare expenditures to persons 65 years and over are not shareable. ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION, 1976 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 17 INTRODUCTION A major thrust in the Ministry's administrative and organization efforts during the year was a speed-up in applying the concept of accountability. • The financial management information system, introduced the previous year, was in full operation. As a result a monthly report on all fiscal activities by service, object of expenditure, and location is now available within 10 working-days of the following month. • To relieve those municipalities still administering their own social service department of burdensome costs, and to ensure equitable and universally applied policies and procedures, the Ministry assumed responsibility for the administration of all social services in the Province, except in Vancouver City (administered by the Vancouver Resources Board) and in four communities served by Community Human Resource and Health Centres (Houston, Granisle, Queen Charlotte Island, and the James Bay neighbourhood in Victoria). • To assist in the administrative process of determining eligibility for income assistance and associated health care and other benefits, the previous Social Assistance Act and the Guaranteed Minimum Income Assistance Act were all incorporated into a new Guaranteed Available Income jor Need Act (GAIN). • Administrative responsibilities were reassigned and responsibilities for the formulation of major policy and procedural recommendations were referred to an Executive Committee. The committee met weekly under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Minister, and its members were the Associate Deputy Minister, Executive Directors, the Superintendent of Child Welfare, the Ministry Comptroller, and the Managers of Personnel, Office Administration and Public Information. • An Evaluation Team was established to be responsible for audits of social welfare programs, policies, systems, and procedures administered by Ministry staff, Municipal and Resources Board staff, and by society-operated organizations receiving grants from the Ministry. • A Ministry Inspectors Program was established to assist local office personnel with the investigation and follow-up of all matters pertaining to suspected or alleged fraud or overpayment of Ministry benefits or grants. V 18 HUMAN RESOURCES REGIONAL MAP REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 19 PERSONNEL ACTIVITIES As at December 31, 1976, there were 3,245 staff members in the Ministry of Human Resources. Personnel statistics from the Vancouver Resources Board are not included in this review of personnel activities. The Vancouver Resources Board provides social services in Vancouver, but operates outside the Public Service of British Columbia. In 1976 the number of permanent positions in the Ministry increased from 2,990 to 3,025. Table 2—Permanent Positions Established in 1976 Established positions as of December 31, 1975 Positions added by transfer from Ministry of Health Positions deleted by transfer to Ministry of Health Established positions as of December 31, 1976 2,990 41 6 3,025 During 1976 the following staff changes took place: (1) 49 employees and positions in the Alcohol and Drug Commission were transferred to the Ministry of Health; (2) 5 employees and positions, in the Mechanical Section were transferred to the Ministry of Health; (3) 41 employees and positions in the Accounting Division, Ministry of Health, were transferred to the Ministry of Human Resources; (4) 201 employees and positions were added to the Ministry of Human Resources from the Municipalities of Richmond, Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, effective January 1, 1977; (5) 84 employees were hired for the Ministry Inspectors Program, Ministry Evaluation Team, and the Provincial Rehabilitation and Employment Program (PREP). Table 3—Promotions in 1976 10 2 Nurse Psychologist Social Worker/Rehabilitation Officers 4 Activity Worker 5 Clerical 28 Administrative Officer 2 Building Service Worker Child Care Counsellor 1 2 Financial Assistance Worker 2 Executive Secretary 2 Total 58 V 20 HUMAN RESOURCES Table 4—Reclassifications1 in 1976 Clerical Psychologist Building Service Worker . Laundress 103 3 3 4 Activity Worker 1 Accountant 1 Administrative Officer 1 Financial Assistance Worker and Case Aides 45 Child Care Counsellor 17 Custodial Attendant 2 Office Equipment Operator 1 Orderly 1 Personnel Officer 2 Social Worker 68 Program Manager 16 Executive Secretary 1-2 2 Total 270 1 Reclassification is the upward movement of staff within a classification series as a result of meeting experience or educational requirements as set out in position specifications, or as a result of position upgrading after a classification review. In 1976, there were 787 retirements and resignations from the Ministry. Of this number, 117 were clerical, 18 were Child Care Counsellors, 74 were Social Workers, 314 were Nurses and Psychiatric Aides, 19 were Financial Assistance Workers, 29 were Dietary Aides, 40 were Activity Workers, and 21 were Building Service Workers. The balance was made up of small numbers of various other job categories. The following table summarizes personnel activities in 1976 with comparative data from 1975. Table 5—Personnel Ac Activities 1976 1975 Vacancies filled 738 790 Promotions 58 40 'ivities in 1976 and 1975 Activities 1976 Retirements and resignations 787 Transfers (non-promotional movement of staff 100 1975 8841 110 Reclassifications 270 167 1 Revision of 1975 Annual Report figures. The Division recorded 76 grievances in 1976, submitted under provisions of the various collective agreements. ACCOUNTING AND BUDGET During 1976 the Accounting Division continued its efforts to provide more effective financial and fiscal controls and a better understanding of accountability through decentralized budgeting and regional training seminars. To improve financial control and assembly of statistical data in the area of income assistance, a new processing system has been implemented and is performing well in the Vancouver Resources Board. During 1977 a phased implementation of this system is planned for the Lower Mainland area and at this date is under way in Burnaby and Richmond. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 21 OFFICE ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION The Division of Office Administration and Public Information provides a range of administrative support services to the Ministry. These include analysis and consultation on administrative requirements in a variety of program areas; co-ordinating the purchase of supplies and equipment; design and distribution of forms; planning and co-ordination of office space and buildings; the preparation, printing, and distribution of program policy, procedures, and administration information; and providing general information to the public. The Division is also responsible for headquarters mail services and for the issuance of bus passes to senior citizens. STAFF DEVELOPMENT Staff Development Division is a Ministry support service. It provides training and library services to staff in all Ministry classifications—management supervision, administrative support, social work, nursing, rehabilitation officers, etc. Programs provided range from general orientation of new staff to special counselling and personal care courses. The Division frequently extends its services to other Government employees and volunteers working in related services—probation officers, teachers, foster parents, senior citizen counsellors, mental health workers, etc. The Division liaises with universities and colleges in the development and maintenance of career programs relating to employment in the social services. In 1976 a reported total of 3,848 persons participated in 527 workshops, courses, lectures, and special conferences. The Ministry library development was curtailed for the fiscal year. The Ministry training grants program was discontinued in 1976. RESEARCH A more definite direction of Research Division activities emerged during 1976. This was evident in both the development of basic research projects as well as an improved ability to respond to more short-term immediate questions. At the same time, a high-level activity in the area of Federal-Provincial planning was maintained as well as ongoing work in program evaluation, policy analysis, and information system development. In the area of Federal-Provincial planning, staff members participated in both the Working Party on Income Maintenance and in the review of the Social Services Act. The activities of the Working Party on Income Maintenance reached their conclusion during 1976 with the issuing of a comprehensive report on their findings. The review of the proposed Federal Social Services Act continued throughout the year and absorbed a high level of staff time. In addition, 1976 saw the turnover of responsibility for supervising the Community Employment Pilot Project in Kamloops and Nanaimo to the Community Grants Division. Two major research projects were started during 1976. The first involved the development of a Predictive Model of Social Assistance Caseloads and Costs. Although the refinement of this model will require considerable ongoing work, a preliminary model was developed and presented during the year. The second project undertaken was a rather extensive survey of income assistance clients. This V 22 HUMAN RESOURCES project will continue into 1977. During 1976 the preliminary design work was compiled and the first block of data was gathered. Preliminary analysis of these data shows considerable promise. Considerable effort was expended in 1976 in improving the ability of the Research Division to answer non-routine questions about Ministerial programs. These involved improved access to program data sources and the acquisition of data from non-Ministerial sources. In addition, new estimation techniques were explained and improved data handling technologies were adopted. During 1976, two staff members were trained in the use of the new Government Honeywell computer. The Research Division provided considerable consulting service in the area of program evaluation, statistical development, and policy analysis. Papers were presented on a variety of specific programs or portions of programs as well as on proposed policies on both the Federal and Provincial level. The Division also continued to maintain the computerized information system for the Personnel Division. Finally, the Research Division engaged in liaison work with Government and outside agencies on projects of mutual interest. Contacts with Research Divisions of other provinces and the Federal Government have emerged as an especially fruitful endeavour. MINISTERIAL INSPECTORS PROGRAM Goal—This program was established late in 1976 to assist line workers in the responsibility for investigation and follow-up of all matters pertaining to suspected or alleged fraud or overpayment of the Financial Assistance Benefits. Description—During the late summer of 1976, from August 17 to December 1, 1976, 10 Ministerial Inspectors were hired. This has provided one such Inspector in all but Region 8 (Dawson Creek), Region 15 (Vancouver Resources Board), and Region 12 (Surrey). The latter two have their own investigators employed on duties similar to the Ministerial Inspectors in the other regions. The Inspectors work under the direct supervision of the Regional Manager and are subject to his direction for day-to-day operational matters. Policy is being and will continue to be set by Provincial Headquarters. The calibre of staff engaged in this program is good. The majority have considerable investigating background and all are well motivated and adjusted toward social services work. The program began with an Indoctrination Course in Victoria from October 26 to 29, 1976, inclusive. It was designed to familiarize all Inspectors with the basic essentials needed to carry out their function. Policies, procedures, forms, legislation, and directives having a bearing on their work were explained. Development and highlights of the program—(a) A Provincial Coordinator has been appointed and the various Inspectors are now fulfilling their duties in the field with reportedly good effects and results. (b) Presence of the Inspectors has relieved field workers of most of the burden of investigating reports and suspicions of alleged fraud, for which most are untrained. At the same time it permits the client/worker relationship to be maintained while an in-depth investigation proceeds. Co-operation and support of the program by field personnel has been remarkably good. The Inspectors are now accepted as part of the "team." (c) There is a noticeable awareness by the public that a special investigative body has been formed to examine their complaints and check on welfare abuses. Although some complaints received are proving to be unfounded, or possibly REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 23 exaggerated, the public appear comforted to know that the matter of overpayment and alleged wrongdoing is being looked into. Many very favourable comments have been received throughout the Province. (d) While no immediate statistics are available it is well established that several suspected or reported cases which have come under investigation have resulted in the client discontinuing on social assistance of their own volition. The deterrent effect appears most evident, though difficult to measure at this early stage. There is every indication that "the word is out" among would-be violators that the investigative body is at work. (e) It is felt that a gradual tightening up without a heavy prosecution program will serve best to curb fraudulent tendencies without creating bitterness and adverse criticism toward the Ministry. Due to the overburdened Court system we are attempting at the outset to present only the more flagrant violations for prosecution. Where restitution and other means of correction are appropriate, cases are not prepared for prosecution. This is being done on the suggestion of Crown Counsel. (/) Emphasis has been and will continue to be on prevention of fraudulent acts. Close attention is being paid to what appears to be weaknesses in the system which lend themselves to fraud in varying degrees. These will be passed to proper authorities in order that policies and procedures may be amended to overcome these weaknesses. The following statistics to the end of 1976 on Table 6 are an indication of the work load performed by this Branch since its inception. In reality it has been operational for approximately three months. It should be noted that the number of complaints and reports received includes a backlog to early 1976 which was previously unattended to. Table 6—Statistics jor All Regions {Excluding VRB and Surrey), October 1 to December 31, 1976 Total number of cases reported for investigation Charges laid Still under investigation Unfounded complaints or insufficient evidence to proceed.. Settlement otherwise negotiated Value of recoveries made, ordered, or agreed to 586 30 275 186 54 $22,717.00 Table 7—Statistics jor All Regions (Excluding VRB and Surrey) January 1 to October 1, 1976 Cases reported (suspected but not necessarily investigated) 403 Charges laid 73 Convicted 41 V 24 HUMAN RESOURCES Table 8—Statistics jor Vancouver Resources Board, 1976 Cases reported 402 Charges laid 44 Convicted 18 Statistics for Surrey, May to December 1976— Cases reported 236 Convicted 16 While statistical records have not been as complete as they could have been prior to commencement of the Ministerial Inspectors Program, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of cases processed, particularly in the regions outside the Greater Vancouver area. As the program continues, the complaints and reports from the public are decreasing rapidly. The social workers are now by far the largest contributors of information and leads pertaining to suspected overpayments. This is providing good insight into weaknesses in our application system. Workers and Inspectors are now beginning to work as a "team," and firm measures are being taken to eliminate overpayments by change of policy, early detection, and through investigation. In the short time the program has been in operation the results have been positive and encouraging. Likewise the co-operation and input from field personnel, in an obvious effort to assist the Inspectors, has been a prime factor in the success of the program. MINISTRY EVALUATION TEAM During 1976 the Ministry of Human Resources established an Evaluation Team. The new team has emphasized the following: • Operational internal audits of the District Offices of the Ministry, focusing on the programs, policies, systems, and procedures related to the delivery of financial assistance. • Financial and operational evaluations of society-operated organizations receiving grants from the Ministry. • Examinations of the procedures for administering the various allowances provided to residents of adult care facilities. SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 27 PREVENTIVE AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES The Protection oj Children Act, a Provincial statute, provides for legal authority of the Superintendent of Child Welfare to intervene in the affairs of a family and, where necessary, to involve the Supreme Court when care of a child falls below the minimal acceptable standards of the community in which he lives, or where a child's life or health may be endangered by the actions, or lack of action, of his parents. Only a small proportion of these cases do come to court. The Superintendent's representatives in Ministry of Human Resources offices throughout British Columbia continue to diligently seek alternatives in helping families to resolve their problems and improve the standard of care for their children, so that the family may be maintained as a unit, in preference to court action which may result in the removal of children from their homes. Such efforts may appear to leave a child, for a period of time, in a less than desirable situation. However, since changes are often slow, Ministry of Human Resources staff have been equally active in their efforts to involve the community in the planning. In all matters involving the protection of children and services to their families, the most successful planning has been evolved with community understanding and participation. These efforts cannot always succeed in preventing the removal of children who may, for their own safety and well being, need to be separated from their parents temporarily. Service to the family continues during any period of temporary separation with a view to the earliest possible return of the child. In those cases where a permanent separation is ordered by the court because of circumstances which indicate that the child's good must take precedence over the rights of parents who are unable, in the foreseeable future, to meet his needs, every effort is made to find a permanent resource in which the child can remain until independent. In particular circumstances, and for some older children, ties with their natural family are maintained through visiting, even though they are in permanent care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare. Children at present in care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare under the Protection of Children Act are shown in the following table: Table 9—Number of Children in Care and Legal Responsibility of the Superintendent of Child Welfare Under the Terms of the Protection of Children Act, as at December 31, 19761 Location Wards In British Columbia 5,861 Outside British Columbia 242 Totals 6,103 Children Awaiting Hearing Before the Courts 416 3 419 1 These figures are actual as of December 1976 and do not take into account movement, that is, children who come into care and then leave. Under the section of the legislation dealing with mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect, increasing activity is noted through 1976, both in the number of reports received and in the development of resources and skills to meet this V 28 HUMAN RESOURCES particular problem. With the increasing awareness of the public at large, as well as the professional people involved, situations are more frequently being referred for service before any serious abuse has occurred, and parents who fear that they may react violently against their children in a moment of stress are referring themselves for help. With the development of knowledge and skills in this area, together with community-based support services, fewer children need to be separated from their families because of physical abuse and can be maintained safely in their own homes. Table 10—Cases of Probable Child Abuse—A Comparison Numbers of Children Age and Sex 19721 19731 19741 1975 1976 Male—under 3 years 26 24 28 50 58 3-10 years 24 37 36 66 92 11 years and older 7 15 12 25 41 No age reported .— .... 2 Female—under 3 years 13 21 27 31 52 3-10 years 22 11 24 46 90 11 years and older 13 14 16 44 84 Totals 105 122 1452 262 417 1 Figures are revised from those appearing in the 1974 Report. Cases of child neglect or unsubstantiated child abuse were included in the figures published in 1974 for period 1971 to 1974. Child neglect and unsubstantiated child abuse cases do not appear in the 1972-74 figures presented here. 2 Figures are revised from those appearing in the 1975 Report. Children may come into care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare on an agreement between the parents and the Superintendent. This "non-ward" care does not require intervention by the courts, but is a voluntary short-term arrangement to help parents who may need a temporary placement of their children due to some crisis in their lives, such as ill-health, but who will shortly be able to resume their parenting role. This type of care may also be a preventive service to families where a child's "acting-out" or a parent's emotional problems due to marriage breakdown or other stress require a temporary separation as a period of respite. A responsibility of Protective and Preventive Services not directly related to children coming into care is the preparation of reports for the Supreme Court on matters concerning custody of children under the Equal Guardianship of Infants Act and the Divorce Act. If the separated parents are unable to agree on arrangements for custody of, and access to the children of the marriage, the court may request, through the Superintendent of Child Welfare, a report on the circumstances of each parent to assist the Judge in making his decision. There were 68 such reports prepared in 1976 for the British Columbia courts. This service is also provided to other provinces and approximately 40 requests were received during 1976. Issues of custody frequently come to the attention of the Superintendent of Child Welfare because of the action of one parent in "snatching" a child from the other parent, to whom a court has awarded custody, and removing the child from the jurisdiction of the court. These are extremely difficult cases to deal with, and REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 29 create serious hardship and anxiety for the parent who so "loses" a child. A new Act passed in British Columbia in June 1976 provides for the enforcement in British Columbia of custody orders made in other provinces. The Province of Manitoba has similar legislation. Legislation of this nature provides one of the tools that will help to protect children against the damaging effects of becoming victims of a tug-of-war between parents. Table 11—Number of Children in the Care and Legal Responsibility of the Superintendent of Child Welfare, Under the Terms of the Equal Guardianship of Infants Act, the Family Relations Act1, and Other Acts, as at December 31, 1976 Location In British Columbia EGIA, FRA, and Similar Wardsi „ 438 Outside British Columbia ... 53 Total 491 1 The Family Relations Act results in temporary committals to the Superintendent's care, and Supreme Court Judges occasionally make temporary orders through other Acts. Committal of children to the charge of the Superintendent of Child Welfare may also be a disposition of the Provincial Court under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, and for 1976, the number of children "in care" under this Act are shown in the following table: Table 12—Number of Children in the Care and Legal Responsibility of the Superintendent of Child Welfare, as a Result of a Finding Under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, as at December 31, 1976 Location JDA Wards In British Columbia 512 Outside British Columbia 7 Total 519 The Superintendent of Child Welfare has responsibilities under the provisions of another statute, the Children oj Unmarried Parents Act. This Act makes provisions for agreements or court orders for the maintenance of children born out of wedlock. This Act also provides that any woman who is a mother within the definition of the Act may apply to the Superintendent for advice and protection in any matter connected with her child or the birth of her child. Such services as are required are offered by the representatives of the Superintendent of Child Welfare in the local offices of the Ministry of Human Resources and may include counselling, financial assistance, appointment of legal counsel where necessary to represent the mother in Court action, assistance toward reaching agreements between the putative father, the mother, and the Superintendent for maintenance of the child, and such other services as may be necessary to ensure that the mother has all possible assistance in planning for her child. V 30 HUMAN RESOURCES The following figure compares the total number of children-in-care over several years: Figure 2 Total Number of Children-in-care and Legal Responsibility of the Superintendent of Child Welfare as at March 31, 1972—76, and at December 31, 1976 10,274 9,913 9,584 9,883 9,859 9,485 March 31 1972 March 31, 1973 March 31, 1974 March 31, 1975 March 31, 1976 December 31, 1976 Assistance is also provided to the mother in enforcing or applying for variation in any order of maintenance made by the courts. A record is maintained in Child Welfare Division of all moneys paid under the terms of an agreement or a maintenance order so that action may be taken as quickly as possible when arrears begin to accrue. During the period from April 1975 to March 1976, approximately 150 Children of Unmarried Parents Act orders and agreements were received in Child Welfare Accounts. Total payments on CUPA receipts between April 1975 and March 1976 amounted to $327,019, giving an average of $27,000 collected monthly. Repatriation of transient and destitute children—Another service that the Child Welfare Division is involved in is the repatriation of children, that is, arranging for the return of children to their province or state of residence. Children under 17 years of age who are temporarily stranded in British Columbia and children from British Columbia stranded in other provinces or states are looked after by this program. Arrangements for transportation, contact with parents, stop-over supervision, escort where required, and liaison with other child welfare authorities is undertaken; and, during 1975/76, 965 transient and destitute children were repatriated. This figure includes movement in and out of the Province only. Within the Province there is, also, substantial movement in returning children to their own homes. During 1976 a number of community grants were made by the Ministry of Human Resources for the purpose of providing preventive programs for youth. All the projects funded under this program offered counselling services: REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 31 YOUTH PROGRAMS Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Abbotsford: $ Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford Community Services Association (percentage) 16,000! Burnaby: Burnaby Citizens Development Fund 74,199 Burnaby Lochdale Area Community School (community youth worker) 11,238 Burnaby PURPOSE 77,811 Burns Lake: Bridge the Gap Society 9,570 Campbell River: Campbell River Youth Centre Society 32,883 Courtenay: Courtenay Youth Chance Society 20,349 Cowichan: Cowichan Valley Regional District Activity Centre (percentage) 12,8271 Cranbrook: Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club (youth project) 20,985 Delta: Hillside Boys Club of North Delta 20,301 Duncan: Duncan Community Options Society 22,071 Falkland: Falkland and District Community Association (youth centre) 6,626 Hazelton: Hazelton Area Community Services Association (youth project) 9,918 Kamloops: Kamloops Boys and Girls Club (youth project) 19,438 Kamloops Community "Y" (youth project) 25,788 Westsyde Human Action Movement (youth project) 15,316 Kitimat: Kitimat Community Services Association (youth project) 3,675 Maple Ridge: Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Community Services Association (percentage) 8,4001 Nanaimo: Nanaimo Boys and Girls Club Youth Project 27,662 Nelson: Nelson Youth Activities Society 16,952 New Westminster: New Westminster YM-YWCA Detached Youth Program 32,199 North Shore: Family Services of Greater Vancouver—North Shore Branch (family services centre) 18,284 North Shore "Y" (youth worker) 3,710 1 The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. V 32 HUMAN RESOURCES YOUTH PROGRAMS—Continued Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Penticton : $ Penticton and District Health and Welfare Association (Penticton Em- ployability Project) 21,984 Port Renfrew: Port Renfrew Community Resource Centre 3,342 Powell River: Powell River Youth Service Society 6,651 Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert Third Avenue Social Worker 480 Richmond: Friendship Home Society (Lindsay Gardens Project) 25,502 Richmond Human Resources Committee (Project Contact) 97,110 Salmo: Salmo and District Youth Recreation Association 2,100 Salmon Arm: Shuswap Youth Centre Association 41,434 Smithers: Smithers Community Services Association (youth project) 28,270 Surrey: Surrey Grandeur Recreation Society 58,534 Vancouver: Capilano Community Services Centre 4,873 Victoria: Victoria Boys and Girls Club (Langford) 14,057 Victoria Boys and Girls Club (Newton Gardens Project) 6,769 Victoria YM-YWCA Detached Youth Worker Program 82,511 Vic West Community Development Association (neighbourhood centre) 51,585 Williams Lake: Cariboo Youth Outreach—The Lighthouse 12,675 Total community grants 964,079 DAY CARE—A PREVENTIVE SERVICE During 1976 the primary focus of the Day Care Program continued to be the low-income family needing day care support. With a decrease in the development of new services this year, more emphasis was placed on screening and improving services in operation. This was achieved primarily through increased home visiting and more consultative support being made available to centres and parents. Description—As in previous years, the largest number of children are receiving day care through unlicensed and community care facilities licensed family day care homes (see pages 33, 35, and 36 for definitions). REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 33 By far the majority of children are in unlicensed family day care homes, most of which are informal arrangements made by non-subsidized parents. Since the Ministry of Human Resources is involved only when subsidization is requested, we are unable to determine exact numbers. The following table gives the numbers of children receiving subsidization during 1976: Table 13—Children Receiving Subsidized Day Care as of December 31, 1976 Program Half Day Full Day Total Group day care 138 3,508 3,646 Family day care 201' 2,901 3,102 Nursery school 548 — 548 Out of school 1,905 119 2,024 Special need centre 413 559 972 In-home day care 89 531 620 3,294 7,618 10,912 The single-parent family accounts for approximately 75 per cent of total expenditures for day care subsidies. Six different types of day care services exist to meet individual family needs. Parents choose the program they prefer, and complete an income or needs test should they require help with fees. Eligibility is based on net income, including family allowance (see Table 14). As of June 1, 1976, in order to qualify for subsidization, applications were also required to meet social need criteria established by the Federal Government for cost-sharing purposes. These criteria are as follows: (1) A single-parent family requires day care services and that parent works or attends an educational institution, or is undertaking medical treatment or a rehabilitative program. (2) A two-parent family requires day care services and both parents work, or one parent works and the other spouse is either incapacitated, attends an educational institution, or is undertaking medical treatment or a rehabilitative program. (3) A single-parent or two-parent family requires day care services that are recommended by or arranged by a social welfare agency as part of a child protection service; or are arranged by or recommended by a social welfare agency on the basis of an individual assessment of special needs of the family or the child, including physical, emotional, mental, developmental, language, or other identifiable and recognized handicaps; or are arranged by or recommended by a social welfare agency due to conditions in which it is possible to document aspects of the physical, social, or cultural environment which are seriously detrimental to the development of a child and his equality of opportunity when he enters the formal education system. (4) A single-parent or a two-parent family requires day care services due to a short-term family crisis which is regarded as such by the administering authority. Family day care—Day care provided in a home other than the child's own may be either licensed or unlicensed. A mother caring for three to five children requires a community care facilities licence. 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Ms o 1 r ts ° p C "p ! g a : E< ' O M ;0 c u _S i: 9 S3 =£ u o 8 2 c _flO S E ___. ^c. u o a is s.s 2 e rt y d a o <j S o li V it 5 E ■a 9 ish §: a_o o •=■ _* »' O CN rt ► T3 . S ■fN XZ REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 35 formal licence is needed, but subsidization of parents using the home is dependent on the approval of Ministry of Human Resources' staff. This usually takes the form of a home visit and check of references. Family day care has the advantage of being able to accommodate a wide age- range of children. Hours can be flexible, and care more readily found for children in their own neighbourhood, or near their schools. At the close of 1976, there were 243 licensed family day care homes in British Columbia. This compares with 230 at the close of 1975. An average of 3,100 children received subsidization each month in the licensed and unlicensed family day care programs. Group day care—A regular group day care centre may provide service for up to 25 children in one group for a period of up to 10 hours per day, five days per week. Some children attend centres for half the day only. Staff require special preparation in child care, and the services generally must meet basic standards of health and safety. Facilities are inspected at least annually by the Ministry of Health. Group day care has the advantage of offering care by specially trained staff, and makes it possible for children to mix with other children of diverse backgrounds. At the close of 1976, approximately 46 per cent of the total number of community care facilities licensed group day care spaces were filled by children receiving subsidies. There were 283 centres, licensed to provide 6,368 group day care spaces. Figure 3 Number of Group Day Care Centres in British Columbia Operating and Being Developed at Year-end 1971 to 1976 67 152 250 280 2861 283 1971 1972 1 Revision of 1975 Report figures. 1973 1974 1975 1976 In-home care—This service is designed to enable subsidization of shift-working parents to hire someone to come into their homes to care for their children. Each plan must be individually approved by the administering authority in terms of suitability and social need. Out-of-school care—Family and group centres can often accommodate a child up to 12 years of age needing care and supervision after school or when school is not in session. As of December, 1976, 107 community care facilities licensed out-of-school services were providing services to 1,396 children. This represents an expansion of 18 new programs since 1975. V 36 HUMAN RESOURCES A maximum of $50 monthly is available under the subsidy program for children requiring care for four hours or less daily during school sessions. Nursery schools—This is a part-time service offering care, extra stimulation, and preparation for school for children 3 to 5 years of age. It is also viewed as a support for families where the parent may require short periods of relief, but not necessarily full-time day care. There are 321 community care facilities licensed nursery schools in the Province, providing a service for 7,365 children. An average of 250 children are receiving subsidization each month. Families requesting subsidization are required to meet financial need criteria only. Special needs—The objective of the special needs service is to enable children with physical, social, and (or) emotional problems to receive assistance through available day care programs in both regular and specialized centres: (1) A child with social, physical, or emotional handicaps requiring more support and services than the regular day care program is equipped to provide may be designated as "special needs." As far as possible, the integration of these children into existing regular programs is encouraged. (2) Where it is possible to document aspects of physical, social, or emotional problems seriously detrimental to the development of the child, a non-profit group day care centre, nursery school, after- school centre, with an enrolment of 50 per cent or more children requiring very specialized care, may be designated as a specialized pre-school service. A community care facilities licence for specialized day care is required. Placement is made on an individual basis, related to the developmental needs of the child. There are now 50 specialized day care centres in the Province, serving 1,000 children. Responsibility for these programs is shared with a number of Government ministries and voluntary agencies. This is one instance in which a high degree of interministerial co-operation is necessary. Capital and Equipment Grant Program—The grants program for new day care development which saw a slowing down of expansion in 1975 was suspended for 1976. There was instead a budget allocation for "contingency" use in high-priority areas. A total of $36,865 was spent to the end of the year in a variety of ways, including renovation costs to meet licensing standards and equipment grants for already established day care centres, and "special needs" centres. One half of the contingency budget was designated for three pilot projects to develop supported family day care programs. These projects are located in Abbotsford, Kelowna, and Nelson and are sponsored by local community non-profit societies. Each society receives a monthly grant of $2,000 to administer and staff the program. These projects were started in an attempt to improve the quality of family day care services. Exact figures are not available, but there are an estimated 10,000 children in British Columbia who spend a large portion of their growing years in family day care arrangements. Experience everywhere has shown that children in unsupervised day care can be "at risk." By developing some services for parent users and caregivers, we are trying to ensure a standard of child care that will provide both quality and continuity of child care. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 37 These supported family day care projects offer the following: (1) Assistance to parents, in planning for children up to 12 years of age with referral to available choices of care arrangements. (2) Careful selection of day care parents. (3) Support services for day care givers, including (a) relief for the day care mother in emergencies; (b) equipment and book loan service; (c) opportunity for child care learning and information sharing through meetings and (or) newsletters; (d) assistance in planning for children with special needs; (e) regular home visiting for consultation about the care of the day care children; (/) increasing community awareness of what is involved in good family day care. Ongoing evaluation of these projects is taking place in order to determine the feasibility of continuing or expanding this approach during 1977. Changing patterns—During 1976 a number of changes and modifications were made to existing day care policies. In order to qualify for subsidization of fees, parents are now required to meet social need criteria, mentioned earlier in the day care description. It is anticipated this step will realize an increase in the cost-sharing dollars obtained from the Federal Government. For the most part, other than the two-parent family where both are attending an educational institution, this change has not affected day care users. There were no basic changes to the sliding income test scale or the needs test used to ascertain financial eligibility. On June 1, 1976, maximum subsidies available were raised for group day centre care from $120 to $140 per child per month, and for family day care from $90 to $100 per child per month. The fee ceiling which operators were allowed to charge for services was lifted and day care givers may now establish rates in line with true operating costs of the service. Prior to this, when any child in the program was in receipt of a subsidy, the operator was limited to the maximum subsidy in effect. This proved not only difficult to enforce, but prohibitive to services facing rising operating costs and Figure 4 Children Receiving Subsidized Day Care, as of December 31, 1971—76 2,500 2,000 1971 1972 9,500 1973 12,950 1974 11,878 1975 10,912 1976 V 38 HUMAN RESOURCES differing expenses. So far, the majority of services have been able to keep fees at or near, maximum subsidy levels. However, the impact of this policy on day care users is being monitored and will be reviewed during this coming year. Lowered enrolment was a major problem faced by many group day care centres during 1976. A number of reasons have been suggested as being responsible, including higher unemployment, lowered birth rates, higher costs of group care, more intensive subsidy screening, and increasing preference of parents for alternative types of day care programs. It is probable that all of these had some effect, although toward the end of 1976 a reversal of this trend was being observed. Cost-sharing—The Federal Government cost-shares in the day care subsidy program on a 50:50 basis. We do not, however, receive cost-sharing for those parents qualifying for subsidies using the income test, whose children attend privately operated group day care centres. Since nearly one half of British Columbia's group centres fall into this category, it has meant a substantial loss of revenue. Table 15—Total Day Care Expenditures and Federal Sharing, Calendar Years 1971-76 Percentage That Federal Federal Sharing Provincial Portion Is of Provincial Year Expenditure Claimed Expenditure $ $ 1976 . 10,854,971 3,879,035 35.7 1975 . 12,865,779 4,158,700 32.3 1974 10,198,000 3,845,000.. 37.7 1973 4,267,000 1,609,000 37.7 1972 1,534,000 660,000 43.0 1971 1,194,000 518,000 . 43.4 SPECIAL SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES Goal—The goal of the Special Services to Children and Their Families Program is to enable children to grow up successfully in their own homes or communities. Services focus on situations in which a child is clearly in danger of being removed from his or her own family or community. Description—Special Services is a program whereby time-limited, one-to- one services are provided to identified children and their families. Services are Durchased, on a fee-for-service basis, from community societies which employ Special Services workers. The nature, intensity, duration, and costs of services vary according to the needs of the individual families, and specific goals of service are defined at the outset of the intervention. The first half of 1976 saw a levelling off of the use of this program under the then-existing policy. In an attempt to make the program more responsive to the changing needs of families and children, a Task Group of representative field staff met in September 1976 and formulated a report with recommendations for solicy changes. Since the implementation of some of these recommendations (i.e., more flexibility in the duration of service and streamlining of administrative procedures), there has been an increase in the usage of the program and in the number of societies administering the program. As of December 31, 1976, there were 35 societies employing a total of 167 Special Services workers. Over 400 children and families were receiving services. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 39 Ministerial expenditures for Special Services to Children are as follows: Table 16—Special Services to Children, Ministerial Expenditure, Fiscal Year 1975/76 and Calendar Years 1975 and 1976 $ 1976 1,836,477 1975 3,209,0711 1975/76 3,117,539 1 Revision of 1975 Report figures. There was a general consensus in the Task Group that the Special Services to Children and Their Families Program has been and continues to be one of the most effective and responsive programs for families and children in providing a viable alternative to apprehension and residential treatment. Cost-sharing—The Federal Government has agreed to 50:50 cost-sharing on all expenditures under this program with the exception of expenses for Family Service status children (an amount which represents less than one half of 1 per cent of the total budget in 1976). YOUTH HOSTEL PROGRAM Goal—Youth hostels are provided to make low-cost accommodation available for Canadian youth travelling in British Columbia. Description—Youth are referred to hostels for a maximum stay of three days and are asked to pay $2 per day in Vancouver and between $1.50 and $3 per day outside Vancouver. This entitles them to a bed and two meals for a maximum stay of three days. The average age of the travellers was around 20 years, but ages ranged from 16 to over 25 years. This year, the Summer Youth Hostel Program involved 14 hostels, most of them temporary, in nine communities in British Columbia. These hostels provided 25,912 bed-nights for 17,368 individuals between June and September. Asked to participate in the organization of housing for non-registered participants in the Habitat Forum, the Association of British Columbia Hostels maintained a consulting role during Habitat. As in past years, financial responsibility for the program was shared between the Ministry of Human Resources and the Office of the Federal Secretary of State. The Secretary of State, through grants to community groups, funded most of the salary and operational costs of the hostels. The grant from the Ministry of Human Resources was used primarily for costs which were not met by user fees for those hostels outside the Vancouver area. The grant moneys also assisted the Association of British Columbia Hostels to co-sponsor, with Hostels Alberta, a staff training seminar. The British Columbia Wayfarers Guide was published for youth travellers in British Columbia and was distributed to all hostels in the Province. The Association of British Columbia Hostels also acted in a consultant capacity for a feasibility study conducted by the Canadian Youth Hostels Association. V 40 HUMAN RESOURCES Provincial expenditures for the youth hostel program over the last several years were as follows: Year 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 Table 17—Youth Hostels, Provincial Expenditures, Calendar Years 1972 to 1976 Amount $ .... 78 172 66,814 120,503 ... 127,592 ..... 425,000 The total number of people who used the Summer Youth Hostel Program are illustrated in the following table: Table 18—Summer Youth Hostel Program Statistics, Number Number Number Canadian U.S. of of of Cit- Cit- Persons Males Females izenship izenship Other Hope 2,022 1,399 623 1,391 421 210 Kamloops 1,263 893 370 809 222 232 Kelowna 1,871 1,234 637 1,466 168 237 Nanaimo 1,560 1,019 541 1,024 287 249 Port Alberni ._.._ 583 386 197 403 100 80 Prince George 730 537 193 406 152 172 Prince Rupert 564 351 213 202 225 137 Victoria 1 4,577 2,820 1,757 2,235 1,504 838 Subtotals 13,170 8,639 4,531 7,936 3,079 2,155 Vancouver: Florence Nightingale. 675 421 254 390 151 134 Henry Hudson 529 523 6 311 98 120 Home Placement _ 204 98 106 116 65 23 Queen Mary _ 995 813 182 532 257 206 The Lodge 338 310 28 200 68 70 YWCA 1,457 _ 1,457 815 358 284 Youth Referral Centrei _ - — — — Subtotal —- 4,198 2,165 2,033 2,364 997 837 Totals 17,368 10,804 6,564 10,300 4,076 2,992 1 Placements included in statistics of hostels listed. 2 A further 184 persons were referred to Catholic charities and 49 to tribal villages 7976 Money Col Bed- lected $ 3,564.59 nights 2,610 2,194.80 1,396 3,723.97 2,699 3,218.50 2,078 1,009.05 599 1,669.25 1,087 1,757.68 782 13,746.27 6,628 30,884.11 17,879 485.41 1,332 644.14 1,137 860.00 664 2,034.92 1,927 466.02 657 3,676.45 2,317 5,144.71 13,311.65 8,034 44,195.76 25,913 Federal-Provincial Cost-sharing—The two senior Governments shared costs of the program in 1976 as follows: Table 19—Youth Hostel Program, Provincial and Federal Funding, Calendar Year 1976 Federal contribution Total Provincial contribution 142,500 78,172 Total Government funding 220,672 Provincial recovery re cost-sharing 39,086 Total Federal contribution 181,586 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 41 CHILD CARE RESOURCES—INTRODUCTION It is universally accepted that a sense of belonging is necessary to every child in order for him to be able to inter-relate in a community of others. It is also accepted that a child acquires this attribute by deeply experiencing that he is wanted. Similarly a child builds his own storehouse of self-esteem by being with others who accept and appreciate who and what he is. The child acquires an ability to give and to love by being loved and given to. A child obtains his own individual personhood by having the freedom to discover what other people mean to him and what he in turn means to them. A child grows through a stage of youth to maturity only when his personhood is respected and cherished as being uniquely his. He grows into a free individual in an atmosphere of freedom and love. This Ministry and other ministries of Government provide highly developed programs and professional skills to meet the needs of children. These programs and approaches can only be effective in our Provincial community if the people who make up this community want and love children in a climate of hope and joy rather than despair and fear. The following figure illustrates the variety of placements that are used for children in the care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare: Figure 5 Children in Care by Type of Care as at December 31, 1976 Adoption Probation 4% Receiving and Group Homes and Therapeutic Homes 7% Own Homes or Homes of Relatives and Independent Living 12% Foster homes Children 6,002 Own homes or homes of relatives and independent living 1,148 Receiving and group homes and therapeutic homes 610 Adoption probation 395 Other resources 1,154 Total number of children in care . 9,309 A description of the types of care mentioned in the figure above follows, beginning with the most frequently used resource—foster homes. V 42 HUMAN RESOURCES FOSTER HOMES During 1976, some 6,000 out of a total of approximately 9,500 children of al ages were nurtured and cared for by foster families. Foster parents form a unique and vital part of the Ministry's services to children. Foster families are uncommon in that their greatest gift to the children is their gift of love. They are also uncommon inasmuch as they lend their own life experiences to the business of nurturing and growing the children entrusted to them. These same foster parents have taken the challenge upon themselves to organize into a force for the good interests of children. Each year the Foster Parent Federation of British Columbia becomes more alive and vigorous in its endeavours through able and dedicated leadership. The Federation has, in its own right, become an authentic voice and conscience that can speak and act on behall of children. Foster parents are paid varying rates according to the age of the child. These rates cover clothing and basic maintenance such as food, the child's share of household equipment and operation, transportation, recreation, gifts, and spending allowances. In special instances where the child requires extra care or special management, a reasonable fee for service is paid to foster parents based on the extra amount ol their time and skills that are required. Service fees take into consideration tasks of preparing special diets, special routines, discipline, extra help with homework, and arranging the child's visits with family and social workers. Standard fees for foster care are outiined in Table 20. Table 20—Regular Foster Home Rates as of December 31,1976 Basic Clothing Age-group Maintenance Allowance Total Birth to 5 years 82.08 9 91.08 6-11 years 97.08 17 114.08 12-13 years 118.08 21 139.08 14 years and over 130.08 24 154.08 The year 1976 was one of consolidation in the Child-in-care Section. Significant progress was made administratively on revising the Policy and Procedures Manual and the child welfare forms. These improvements will be completed in 1977. In December 1976 an important demonstration project was initiated to recruit, train, and support foster parents in selected areas of the Province. It is hoped that this project will result in an increase in the number of trained foster parents, essential to the Child Welfare Program. A serious shortage of foster homes for teenagers became evident across the Province in 1976. The Foster Family Worker Project is an attempt to find more homes for these children-iri-care and to involve 'oster parents in the process more than in the past. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 43 A comparison of the number of children in foster care during the last several years is illustrated in the following table: Table 21—Number of Children in Foster Home Care, as at December 31,1976, and March 31,1972 to 1976 Number of Number of Children Children December 31, 1976 . 6,002 March 31, 1974 6,140 March 31, 1976 6,070 March 31, 1973 6,471 March 31, 1975 6,109 March 31, 1972 6,762 Ministerial expenditures on foster home care in 1976 and fiscal years 1971/72 to 1975/76 are as follows: Table 22—Foster Home Care, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 $ Million $ Million 1976 12.5 1973/74 11.6 1975/76 13.3 1972/73 10.3 1974/75 14.6 1971/72 9.5 Cost-sharing—Foster care is cost-shared 50:50 by the Federal and Provincial Governments. THERAPEUTIC HOMES Description—A therapeutic home is a residential resource, usually for one child, operated by a person with child care worker skills in his or her own home. The resource is selected when a child requires intensive treatment and would benefit from receiving it in a family setting rather than a treatment institution. It is frequently used in communities where no treatment institutions exist and the child would otherwise have to move from the community. A contract is drawn up between the therapeutic parent and the Ministry of Human Resources for three months and, where necessary, for further three-month periods up to a maximum of one year. The contract outlines treatment goals, methods to be used, and a date when progress will first be reviewed. Guidelines outlining this policy for therapeutic homes were developed, effective April 1, 1975. The therapeutic home is a short-term placement with the goal of resolving specific behavioural or emotional problems and with a view to returning the child to his or her home or to a less-intensive community resource within one year. This program was started in 1974 and is in line with Government philosophy of getting away from institutional placements for children, of solving children's problems in their own community, and of creating an appropriate resource for a particular child rather than expecting the child to adapt to existing institutions. The program is currently under review in order to explore whether it can be altered and with a view to making it more responsive to current needs. V 44 HUMAN RESOURCES In the 1975/76 fiscal year, $286,352 was expended on this program which provided for an average of 55 homes on a total-year basis. Ministerial expenditures on the program from January 1 to December 31, 1976, were $327,974. Cost-sharing — Payments to persons running therapeutic homes are shared with the Federal Government on a 50:50 basis. GROUP HOMES Goal—The purpose of group homes is to provide skilled, effective parenting or child care services to children who cannot remain in their own or foster homes but who are able to function within the community. Description—Group homes are normally staffed by resident houseparents. These homes have a capacity for five to eight children and are primarily suitable for adolescents. Group homes may have specialized functions such as receiving, assessment, short-term treatment, or long-term care of difficult children, or they may provide a combination of services. Group homes may be contracted for with private individuals, community nonprofit societies, or a combination of these two. Fees for service are paid to group home parents at monthly rates ranging from $810 for one full-time houseparent to $1,651 for two experienced full-time house- parents. Contractual payments to group home parents also include allocations for food, clothing, and personal supplies for the children, as well as an amount to cover relief help, care and maintenance of the facility, planned programs of activity, recreation, and transportation. Where need for a receiving home fluctuates or where there is no suitable resource potential for group homes as outlined above, the Ministry may contract for a "bed subsidy home" on a yearly renewable basis. Under the bed subsidy arrangement the Ministry pays a fee for service of $50 to $150 per month per bed for up to six beds. Regular foster home rates are also paid for each child placed. These resources are privately operated. The bed subsidy home in the past has been used primarily to guarantee bed spaces for short-term receiving or emergency services. This past year, in response to a growing need for a resource which falls between the foster home and the group home, more flexibility has been built in to the bed subsidy home concept. While some bed subsidy homes are still for short-term placements, a number have now been established which provide longer term care. The most significant change in the Group Home Program this year has been the increase in the number of bed subsidy homes. During 1976, there were 157 group homes budgeted for with 944 bed spaces involved. The slight drop in the number of resources and beds budgeted for is due to the reallocation of funds to other programs in the Vancouver area. Table 23- -Group Homes (Including Receiving Homes), Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 $ Million $ Million Ian. 1 to Dec. 31, 1976 .. 6.41 Fiscal year 1973/74 .. 3.54 Fiscal yeai ■ 1975/76 ..... .. 4.42 Fiscal year 1972/73 ■ ..... 1.94 Fiscal year 1974/75 3.73 Fiscal year 1971/72 1.55 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 45 The process of consolidation and the emphasis on utilization, begun in 1975, has continued in 1976. As a result, some of the resources budgeted for have not been in operation for all or part of the year, pending further documentation of need, relevance, and the availability of suitable persons to operate group home resources. Cost-sharing—Payments made to group home parents are shareable with the Federal Government on a 50:50 basis. SPECIALIZED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS Goal—To provide residential care for children in need of specialized child care services because of emotional or behavioural difficulties, or because of physical and mental handicaps. The goal of this program is to provide specialized care and treatment to restore the child to as normal a life-style as possible. The efforts of Government have been to reduce the size of institutions and the numbers of children placed in institutions, wherever possible. Description—Residential placements for emotional and behavioural difficulties are generally utilized when the problems are sufficiently severe that they require a higher level of professional care than can be provided in community programs. There are approximately 400 children in British Columbia at any given time who utilize a number of resources. The average capacity of these resources is 15. There are also approximately 238 mentally handicapped children in specialized residential resources in British Columbia at any given time. The average capacity of these resources is 11. (This figure does not include those children in residential care at Woodlands, Glendale, or Tranquille which are dealt with under Services for Special Needs.) The majority of these programs are operated through independent societies and vary in philosophy and treatment. The Ministry continues to emphasize shorter term residential treatment and greater community involvement and family support. The goal of this kind of residential placement is to help the child adjust to living again in his community with the minimum of support possible. A number of the programs are developing shorter term assessment capacities and have initiated day programs to assist this movement. The majority of the resources we are discussing are highly staffed. A number of resources have staff resident ratios of 1:1. The trend toward shorter term programs and more community and family involvement has continued since 1975. Ministerial expenditures for specialized residential treatment programs in calendar year 1976 and fiscal years 1971/72 to 1975/76 were as follows: Table 24—Specialized Residential Treatment Programs, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 $ Million $ Million 1976 14.1 1973/74 8.82 1975/76 13.2 1972/73 4.7 1974/75 8.4i 1971/72 4.4 i Excludes operating costs for Woodlands, Glendale, and Tranquille. 2 Includes operating costs for Glendale. Cost-sharing — Residential treatment programs are cost-shared with the Federal Government on a 50:50 basis. V 46 HUMAN RESOURCES ADOPTION Goal—Adoption is primarily a service to the child. It is the legal placement of a child in a permanent adoptive home. Services are rendered also to the person or persons who want to become adoptive parents, as well as the biological parents of adopted children. The Ministry is responsible for ensuring that the legal and social requirements have been met in each adoption completed in British Columbia. Description—The program will be described in two sections — adoption placement and adoption completion. Adoption Placement The highlight of the year for Adoption Placement Section was the Provincial Workshop held in early April 1976. The gathering of chosen representatives from regional staff, together with some Divisional representatives, was preceded by Regional Workshops where the total adoption program was discussed. The results were presented later to the Executive Committee of this Ministry where all recommendations were approved in principle or approved without reservation. The most important outcome of this conference was the creation of a Provincial Policy and Practices Committee. Within this committee all aspects of practice and policies will be reviewed and recommendations made to the Superintendent of Child Welfare or to the Executive Committee. This committee is an active working group on an ongoing basis to whom questions of practice can be referred. The Canadian exchange system is actively working out of Ottawa, where it is identified as the National Desk. Through that office, homes available in one province and not used are referred for children also registered with the Desk. At the time of writing, a total of 29 homes has been referred in which we have placed two children from other provinces. We have also registered a total of five children for whom there is no resource in this Province. We continue to maintain a level of approximately 630 homes available for all children, even with limiting placement of healthy infants to those with one or no children and unable to have more. However, as this Province appears to have a relatively large number of infants available, first placements are being made usually within one and one-half years of the date of application. We also continue to place on an average 33 infants each month who are one month old or younger. This number has remained steady since January 1975. Our statistics reveal further that more than 50 per cent of our placements are for children with special needs such as age, race, emotional, physical, or mental difficulties or by virtue of being part of a large family group. The following table illustrates the number of children with special needs placed for adoption by the Ministry of Human Resources and the Vancouver Resources Board during the 1975/76 fiscal year: Table 25—Number of Children With Special Needs Placed for Adoption by Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board During Fiscal Year 1975/76 Inter-racial origin and origin other than white Health problems Over 1 year of age1 Ministry of Human Resources Vancouver Resources Board Total 150 39 189 131 29 160 2 2 Totals 281 70 351 i Children over 1 year of age who are of inter-racial origin and origin other than white or have a health problem have been shown in either one of the first categories and are not shown in the category "Over 1 year of age." REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 47 Some interesting sidelights to these placements include: • The 8-year-old boy whose grandmother had been previously involved but was unable to continue caring for him. She was able to visit the adopting parents' home to satisfy herself that she, and we, were doing right by her grandson. • The rejected 6-year-old boy for whom a special non-English-speaking home had to be located to satisfy the parents who were relinquishing. • The little boy who had been placed with grandparents who were young enough to raise him but financially unable to meet the cost of an adoption medical (not covered through BCMP). • The whole community where adopting parents reside entered into the placement of a family of four, thus creating an atmosphere of acceptance and welcome which augurs well for the future. • Brothers who had been placed a year previously from a treatment centre, constantly referred to three other children (siblings) who remained behind. Adopting parents made inquiries to learn that the three had not yet been placed, asked for information, got to know them, and finally those three were placed in the brothers' home. • A 4-year-old boy with serious questions still unanswered about his functioning in the future was placed in an area where he can continue to receive the special education that he needs. The following table gives a breakdown of the age-range of children placed "rom January 1 to December 31, 1976: Table 26—Ages of Children Placed for Adoption by Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board During Calendar Year 1976 Number Number of of Age Children Age Children Birth up to but not including 15 days 296 7 years 13 15 days up to but not including 1 8 years 21 month 119 9 years '■ 12 1 month up to but not including 3 10 years 12 months - - - 75 11 years ... 11 3 months up to but not including 6 12 years 4 months 28 13 years 2 6 months up to but not including 1 14 years . . __ 2 year 37 15 years 4 1 year 39 16 years 1 2 years 40 17 years 6 3 years . ,' 18 18 years 2 4 years 31 5 years 20 Total 814 6 years 21 Single parents continue to apply and have children placed with them. A single father received his son in the summer, having spent almost a month living in the foster home (at their invitation) to get to know him. Father and son now wish to apply for another boy in the near future to complete their family. "Hard-to-place" parents continue to receive consideration for placement—the paraplegic father, formerly a logger, now no longer able to go out to work; the blinc V 48 HUMAN RESOURCES mother who has developed special ways of caring for her baby; the couple who have to some extent reversed roles in that father's occupation enables him to be at home to cope with routine household tasks while his wife works out of the home. During the ensuing year our focus will be on developing and using new techniques to locate homes for children with special needs, particularly for children who are intellectually limited. Also, we will continue to develop systems to support field social workers in pursuing the goal of a Life Plan for every child in care. A comparison over the last several years of the number of children placed for adoption appears in the following figure: Figure 6 Number of Adoption Placements Made by the Ministry of Human Resources and the Vancouver Resources Board, Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 and Calendar Year 1976 1,254 1,077 836 757 751 814 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75 1975/76 1976 The following table gives a breakdown by type of placement for the children placed in 1976: Table 27—Adoption Placements in Calendar Year 1976, by Type oj Placement Type of Placement Location Direct Placement Foster Home to Adoption Six Months' Probation Long-term Probation! Within Same Home In Another Home Total Six Months' Probation Long-term Probation1 In British Columbia 328 1 119 14 342 3 7 797 Outside British Columbia. 17 Totals 328 1 133 345 7 814 i These are placements of children with health or other problems requiring a longer period of probation. report of the ministry, 1976 v 49 Adoption Completion The following table, prepared from the monthly worksheets of social workers in Adoption Completion Section, shows the number of children for whose adoptions the Superintendent of Child Welfare submitted reports to the Supreme Court in the calendar year 1976 and the types of adoption. Figures for the calendar year of 1975 are given as a comparison. (These figures will not coincide exactly with the number of adoption orders made in the corresponding periods because (a) in the case of reports submitted late in the year, the orders were not made until the next calendar year, (b) there were a few cases where orders were refused.) Table 28—Adoption Reports Filed for Adoption Completion Division, by Type of Adoption, Calendar Years 1975 and 1976 Number of Reports Filed Type of Adoption 1975 1976 Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board Placement 674 831 Step-parent 856 867 Other relative 71 93 Private sources 52 54 Totals 1,653 1,845 There was an 11.6-per-cent increase in the total number of children reported on in 1976 as compared to 1975. The bulk of the increase was in Ministry of Human Resources placements, up 157 from 1975. This is partly accounted for by the backlog of adoptions of status Indian children, which could not go to court until after the rendering of the favourable decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in October 1975. There were, therefore, fewer Indian children than usual adopted in 1975, and more than usual in 1976. The backlog was cleared up in the first few months of 1976. Relative adoptions other than step-parent increased by 22, a large increase considering the small total number of this type of adoption. It is possible that this increase in relative adoptions resulted from applications by Canadian citizens and landed immigrants from other countries to adopt related children, usually nieces and nephews, frequently teenagers, who have come into Canada from their native lands. It appears that this type of adoption is increasing. Many of these young people, unless adopted, would not be eligible to remain permanently in Canada, and it appears likely that in some cases no adoption application would have been made had there been other means available of gaining their permanent admission to Canada. A tally will be kept by Adoption Completion Section staff in 1977 of this type of adoption. Private placements, i.e., those in which the child is unrelated to the petitioners, and the placement was not arranged through the Ministry of Human Resources or other social agency, have increased by only two. A much larger increase might have been expected in view of the continuing shortage of newborn infants for adoption through the Ministry of Human Resources. It is probable that the supply of privately available babies is being diminished by the same factors which lessen the numbers placed through the Ministry of Human Resources. The total number of services to completed adoptions recorded by Adoption Completion Section workers in the calendar year of 1976 was 363 compared with V 50 HUMAN RESOURCES 145 recorded in the calendar year 1975. These services include mainly dealing with requests for medical and social background information, identifying information about natural parents, assistance in reunions between adoptees and original blood relatives, and requests for confirmation of adoption. The policy of the Ministry still is that no identifying information is given, and no assistance with reunions, but otherwise all possible information is supplied. A review of some Adoption Completion worksheets of four or five years ago shows a monthly total average of about five cases of service to completed adoptions, compared to the monthly average of approximately 30 in 1976. The following figure gives a comparison of the number of adoptions legally completed over the past few fiscal years, illustrating what may be a levelling off of the declining trend reported in previous years: Figure 7 Number of Children Legally Adopted in British Columbia, Fiscal Years 1970/71 to 1975/76 2,804 1970/71 2,306 1971/72 1,820 1972/73 1,920 1973/74 1,721 1974/75 1,626 1975/76 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 53 INCOME ASSISTANCE Goal—To provide a substitute income sufficient to maintain a basic standard of living for those unable to provide for themselves through employment or other resources. In 1976, new regulations to the new GAIN Act were introduced to comply with requirements of the Canada Assistance Plan. The changes related to benefit levels, earnings exemptions, asset levels, appeal procedures, and confidentiality. Description—Basic income assistance recipients are comprised of the following groups of people: 1. Single-parent families—This, the largest group of recipients, is made up mainly of mothers and their children. The intent of the program is to provide security to the mother so that she can devote her time to raising her children. 2. Persons unable to be employed for physical or mental health reasons— Often, the disability is of a temporary nature and the program attempts to provide the necessary financial and social supports during the period of convalescence. It is hoped that the recipient will eventually be able to return to full-time or at least part-time employment. People in this group are under extra psychological stress due to the fact that they are no longer participating in the work force and often not even in the social life of the community. 3. Children living with relatives—Although the Ministry's goal is to keep parents and children together, in some instances of parental illness, desertion, or other reasons, children must be placed in another home. Settling them with relatives is usually a positive step in that some continuity of familiar surroundings is provided, and the child is less upset by the move. The program provides the relatives with financial assistance at the same rates as for foster children. 4. Persons who are employable but out of work—The program provides short- term help to those individuals without means to support themselves. Many of these recipients are only marginally employable as they do not have the necessary skills to compete for the more permanent jobs. The turnover rate in this group is high as many require help for only a short period of time. Applying for income assistance—Eligibility for income assistance is carried out according to established criteria. An examination of need is made based on financial assets, income, housing costs, and family size. Certain assets and income are excluded from consideration, for example, the family home and car and family allowances are exempt. Basic income assistance rates to eligible persons are as follows: Table 29—Basic Income Assistance Rate Schedule as of December 1976 (For persons receiving assistance for less than five consecutive calendar months) Family Unit Size (Number of Persons) One . Two Three Four _ Five - Six _ Seven Eight . Nine . Ten ... Support $ _ 85 .. 150 .. 185 .. 220 .. 260 ._ 295 .. 325 _ 355 _. 385 .. 415 Shelter $ 75 120 135 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 Total Basic Maximum 160 270 320 370 420 465 505 545 585 625 V 54 HUMAN RESOURCES Table 30—Basic Income Assistance Rate Schedule (For persons on assistance five or more consecu Family Unit Size (Number of Persons) Support $ One (age 55 or over) 155 Two (one adult, one child) 200 Two (two adults, one or both over age 55) .. 220 Three 235 as of December 1976 tive months) Total Shelter Basic Maximum $ $ 75 230 120 320 120 340 135 370 150 420 160 470 170 515 180 555 190 595 200 635 210 675 Four Five Six Seven 270 310 345 375 405 ._ 435 Eight Nine Ten 465 In the case of a family where the actual shelter cost exceeds the amount of the rate for shelter, 75 per cent of the extra amount required may be provided by the Ministry. For example, if the actual shelter cost for a family of four is $225 per month, an additional housing average of $56.25 per month may be granted: $225—actual shelter cost — $150—basic shelter rate for family of four $ 75—excess shelter cost over basic shelter rate 75 per cent of $75 = $56.25 As stated in last year's Report, there are often items of special need required by recipients who are faced with various emergencies but do not have assets, family help, or credit resources to meet the need. Within the provisions of the new GAIN Regulations, effective October 1, 1976, most of these needs, if they are essential, can be provided. Examples of special need are repairs to washing-machines, stoves, and such appliances, repairs to septic tanks, or other essential household repairs where non-repair could result in a hazardous condition or one deleterious to health. Changes in the GAIN Act and Regulations have dealt with special needs and have "tightened up" the administration of this program. Sections 12 (1) and 12 (2) of the GAIN Regulations have redefined items that may be provided and have made the Regional Director responsible for the authorization of expenditures rather than the line worker. It is expected that the changes will ensure only essential requests are granted after a thorough exploration by the staff of alternatives available to the recipient. Expenditures for items of special need were as follows: Table 31—Items of Special Need, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 1976 3,349,615 1975/76 3,995,513 1974/75 2,344,397 1973/74 1,097,095 1972/73 281,555 1971/72 158,921 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 55 Various other forms of help are given by the Ministry and include purchase of tools or clothing to help a recipient secure employment and provision of transportation and moving costs when it is necessary to move to take advantage of a confirmed job opportunity in another community. A dietary allowance for special health conditions, of up to $20 per month, may be granted on the recommendation of the family physician. A natal diet allowance of $25 per month to cover higher food costs may be allotted to expectant mothers for several months before and after the birth. To help families with children, there are school start-up fees of $15 per year for children under 12 years of age, and $25 per year for children over the age of 12. It is practice to allot an additional $15 per single recipient or $25 per family at Christmas time. A very supportive policy for recipients has been the earnings exemption. This allows a recipient to engage in part-time work without losing all financial gain through deductions from the cheque. The Ministry allows exemptions on earnings of $50 per month for a single person and $100 per month for a person with dependents or a single handicapped person. This policy encourages part-time employment that helps the recipient to gain or retain job skills that may eventually lead to full-time employment (see also description of the Incentive Opportunities Program). Figure 8 Average Number of Recipients per Month: Basic Income Assistance Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 and Calendar Year 1976 123,400 105,300 108,500 111,693 125,552 115,058 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75 1975/76 1976 Averaging over 1976, the number of basic assistance recipients in various categories were as follows: 28,553 heads of families, of which many were single parents; 62,659 dependents, mainly children; 13,833 single men; 10,013 single women. Approximately two thirds of the monthly average of 28,553 heads of families on basic assistance were single parents. Based on Vancouver figures, approximately 96 per cent of the single parents on basic assistance were women, and 4 per cent were men. Supplementation of low-income earners—Persons working in part-time or full-time employment at low wages may apply to have their income supplemented up to the appropriate income assistance level, as determined by family size. V 56 HUMAN RESOURCES Total expenditures on income assistance are as follows: Figure 9 Total Income Assistance, Ministerial Expenditures, Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 and Calendar Year 1976 $117 million $94 million $92 million $187.5 million $171.98 million $158.12 million 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75 1975/76 1976 Cost-sharing—The financial basis of this program is a shared one with the Federal Government providing 50 per cent of the costs, municipalities 10 per cent, and the Provincial Government 40 per cent. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Goal—1. To assist in accomplishing the Ministry's desire to find jobs for employable persons receiving income assistance: (a) The promotion of programs designed to help employable income assistance applicants and recipients in securing employment. (b) The effective administration of these programs, whether separate from or in conjunction with Federal departments, other Provincial ministries, municipal and regional authorities and agencies, and all such other bodies, public or private, whose goals are compatible with those of the Ministry and the public interest. 2. To assist the Ministry in the implementation of those regulations which require employable income assistance applicants and recipients to make reasonable efforts to find and accept employment. Description—In May of this year the Minister of Human Resources announced a major plan to reduce welfare costs and simultaneously assist recipients to gain or regain a useful place in the work force. Previously there had been a number of more or less successful efforts to achieve similar goals. However, these were largely of a local or regional nature, although Provincial sanction was accorded to some by way of grants or sponsorship. The scope of the present Provincial Rehabilitation and Employment Program (PREP), as it has become known, is Province-wide. It is the intention that the services of the program shall be brought within reach of everyone in need of them. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 57 A comprehensive counselling service is provided for income assistance applicants and recipients, to help them find a way to employment in what, for many of them, is a confusing and disheartening complex societal structure. These services include advice on behaviour before referral for a job interview, and in-depth research of complicated motivational problems. PREP not only seeks to serve the readily employable, but as the staff situation and facilities permit, the severely handicapped, drop-out youths, single parents, and other special needs categories. A referral system is operative between the District Offices of Ministry of Human Resources and PREP, whereby all employable assistance applicants and recipients are directed to the PREP offices for job registration and referral. In the case of less readily employable persons, there is, generally, ongoing communication between the two sets of offices, and as expected, the flow of these referrals is growing as the program progresses, with heavier demands upon the skills and time of the counselling and job-finding staff. The actual job-finding process is handled by local employment co-ordinators. A variety of methods are applied to ensure a constant flow of jobs to those whom PREP serves. Job banks are created by personal visits and telephone job-search techniques. To handle the latter calls, incentive trainees are engaged. Letters encouraging employers to use PREP's services are mailed out at appropriate times and intervals. These local activities are further reinforced by informational services supplied to the news media, trades organizations, employer groups, and other directly or indirectly job-generating resources. In addition, there is regular liaison at both the executive level and with the line staff of Government departments and ministries for job openings in the public sector. With the co-operation and support of the Department of Manpower and Immigration, PREP enjoys the use of that Department's facilities at the majority of its locations. PREP offices monitor the Canada Manpower Job Information Centres for openings to which clients may be referred and, vice versa, the Canada Manpower Centres receive information from PREP about job openings for which the latter has no suitable candidates. Plugging into the opportunities presented by Canada Manpower sponsored training courses, apprenticeship programs, industrial training programs, and special programs for youth, the handicapped, etc., the PREP staff endeavours to make available for its clientele every opportunity to gain, or regain, a useful place in our Province's economy. Highlights of the Provincial Rehabilitation and Employment Program • By Order in Council the Provincial Co-ordinator for the Program, R. Stew, was appointed on May 1, 1976. He had previously been the co-ordinator of the successful Surrey employment program. • At the end of the year, 30 PREP offices were in operation, with a staff complement of over 70, including clerk-stenographers. The offices make use of the services of incentive volunteers, who thus gain valuable training in elementary life skills, such as being at work on time, and in various office tasks and procedures. The Provincial Co-ordinator maintained supervision and direction of all offices. As the year drew to a close, the need was evident for delegation of certain responsibilities to Area Co-ordinators and the establishment of an Administrative Office facility with appropriate support staff. Even in a period of economic decline and relatively high unemployment the PREP program has performed remarkably well, averaging between 700 and 800 job placements each month. In terms of financial savings, its direct and indirect V 58 HUMAN RESOURCES impact is great. In terms of humanitarian values, to combat feelings of unemployment depression, worthlessness, attraction to crime, etc., and replace them with hope, renewal of self-esteem and contributing to a better society for all British Columbians, the PREP program can hardly be over-estimated. Community employment strategy—In the early part of the year, Ministry staff continued participation with the Community Employment Strategy Advisory Boards in both Nanaimo and Kamloops. While field staff worked in close cooperation with the local Boards and their staff, headquarters' staff participated on the Federal-Provincial Work Groups which oversees the projects. The Ministry again provided a grant to the Nanaimo Community Employment Advisory Board for an employment liaison worker, while in Kamloops, Ministry staff worked on the development of a Work Activity Project in co-operation with Kamloops Community Employment Strategy Board and staff. Table 32—Community Grants Made Available in the Early Part of 1976 $ 45,097 6,255 Nanaimo Community Employment Strategy Advisory Board 10,122 Victoria Employment Counsellors1 Terrace Golden Rule1 i During the summer of 1976 these services were replaced by the PREP Program. REPATRIATION Goal—To assist recipients to return to other provinces, and occasionally other countries, when required for social reasons. Description—This program is available to recipients who demonstrate a social need for this type of help. Often this is because of health reasons, having a family in another province, finding employment in another province, or wishing to return permanently to one's homeland in another country. The program, although of much benefit to the client from a strictly humanitarian standpoint, is also a constructive force in that many clients reunited with their families, or in a job, are no longer on continued assistance. Table 33—Repatriation, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 Year Amount 1976 47,158 1975/76 32,482 1974/75 30,325 Year Amount $ 1973/74 11,951 1972/73 9,224 1971/72 21,369 The increased expenditures for repatriation reflect in the main extra costs of individual repatriation rather than an upsurge in the number of repatriations. Cost-sharing—The program is shared on a 50:50 basis with the Federal Government. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 59 HOMEMAKER/HOUSEKEEPER SERVICES Goal—A broad range of homemaker/housekeeper services is provided as an alternative to institutional care for the aged, handicapped, physically and mentally ill, and to keep families together in times of emotional, mental, or physical stress. Homemaker services are also provided to ease the burden of long-term chronic illness, to encourage the reintegration into the community of young disabled persons, and to assist in improving the child care and home management skills of parents whose children are "at risk." Description—Homemakers provide temporary or long-term care for families, the ill, and aged. Duties include household cleaning, laundry, shopping, meal preparation, teaching of household routine, limited personal care, and the care of children. A homemaker works under supervision and acts as part of a team in the support of the family or individual client. During 1976, nearly 2,800 people worked as homemakers or home aides on a full- or part-time basis. A number of men continued to work with the elderly and disabled and many more homemakers were employed on a full-time salaried basis. By year-end, approximately 600 homemakers were working on a full-time basis. On behalf of eligible persons, the Ministry purchases the homemaker service from non-profit homemaker societies. The Ministry also awarded some grants to community groups to provide home help services. Continued efforts were made in 1976 to maintain special services to physically disabled persons living independently in the community. Specially trained home- makers gave assistance to persons living in the Paraplegic Lodge in Vancouver, providing short-term but essential support to persons on the way to returning to their community. Sixty-two non-profit societies were funded in 1976 to provide homemaker services. The Ministry of Human Resources is working closely with these agencies and with the Community Homemaker Services Association of British Columbia to develop better training opportunities for homemakers and to standardize service throughout the Province. New non-profit homemaker societies were established in 1976 (with the help of the Ministry) to provide homemaker services in Fernie, Golden, Kaslo, Keremeos, Revelstoke, and Victoria. During 1976 the cost of the service continued to rise again due to increases in wages to homemakers and supervisors. Even with increases in 1976, however, homemakers' hourly wages ranged from below the minimum wage to $4.20 per hour. Homemaker societies set the rate and the Ministry is billed this rate, which covers the homemaker's wage plus overhead of the society. Most homemaker societies are still paid on a fee-for-service basis that covers the hours of service only. The use of homemaker services is effective in creating an alternative to the sometimes unnecessary use of higher levels of care, such as acute care hospitals, personal, and intermediate care homes. The cost of providing a 24-hour home- maker service ranges from $40 to $45 per day. Even at this level the service can be an economical one and most persons, of course, prefer to stay at home if the proper care can be provided there. The year 1976 saw a small increase in use of homemakers in the care of the elderly with 60 per cent of the services being provided to elderly persons, 12 per cent to disabled persons, and 28 per cent to families in crisis. V 60 HUMAN RESOURCES Eligibility for the service is determined by a social, clinical, or functional assessment of the person, and subsidies are provided on the basis of individual financial need, in accordance with the GAIN Regulations. Subsidies for the service are provided by the Ministry to (a) income assistance recipients, and (b) individuals with insufficient income as determined by a needs test. Individuals are ineligible for the subsidy if assets exceed $1,500 for a single person, $2,500 for a person with dependents. Approximately 10 per cent of the total recipients of homemaker services pay for the entire service themselves. The following figure illustrates the Ministry's expenditure for homemakers in fiscal years 1971/72 to 1975/76 and calendar year 1976. Figure 10 Homemaker Services, Ministerial Expenditures, Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 and Calendar Year 1976 1 1 $1,187,491 $ 1,394,22 i $2,812,704 $4,258,384 $7,000,155 $7,200,675 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75 1975/76 1976 The following non-profit societies received grants through the Ministry of Human Resources in 1976: HOMEMAKER SOCIETIES Campbell River: Campbell River Homemaker Service Castlegar: Castlegar and District Homemaker Services Association Chilliwack: Chilliwack Homemaker Service Courtenay: Comox Valley Homemakers Service. Cranbrook: Cranbrook Homemakers Service Creston: Creston Valley Homemaker Services Delta: Delta Homemakers Service Society REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 61 Duncan: Cowichan Family Life Association Homemakers Duncan Child and Family Service Society Fernie: Fernie Homemaker Service Fort St. John: North Peace Homemakers Service Association Ganges: Salt Spring Island Homemaker Service Golden: Golden Community Resources Society Grand Forks: Boundary Homemakers Service Association Hazelton: Hazelton Community Resource Society Homemaker Service Kamloops: (Greater) Kamloops Homemaker Service Association Kaslo: Kaslo Homemaker Services Kelowna: Kelowna Homemakers Service Keremeos: Lower Similkameen Community Services Society Kimberley: Kimberley and District Homemakers Society Langley: Langley Homemakers Society Maple Ridge: Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Homemaker Service Mission: Central Fraser Valley Homemaker Service Society Nakusp: Nakusp and District Homemakers Services Nanaimo: Nanaimo Red Cross Homemaker Service Nelson: Nelson and District Homemakers Services New Westminster: New Westminster Red Cross Homemaker Service North Vancouver: VON, North Shore Branch 100 Mile House: South Cariboo Homemakers Service Osoyoos: South Okanagan Homemaker Society Parksville: District 69 Homemaker Service Penticton: Penticton Homemakers Service Port Alberni: Port Alberni Homemakers Society Powell River: Powell River and District Homemakers Service Prince George: Prince George and District Homemakers Service Society Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert Homemakers Service Association Quesnel: Quesnel Homemaker Service Revelstoke: Revelstoke Homemaker Service Sechelt: Sunshine Coast Homemaker Service Smithers: Smithers Community Services Association Sorrento: Shuswap Homemakers Service Sparwood: Sparwood-Elkford Homemakers Service Squamish: Howe Sound Homemakers Society Summerland: Summerland Community Homemaker Service Surrey: Surrey and White Rock Community Homemakers Service Terrace: Terrace and District Community Resources Society Trail: Trail and District Homemakers Service Association Vancouver: (Greater) Vancouver Area Homemaker Association Mother's Help Program (Vancouver Resources Board) Teaching and Emergency Homemaker Program (Vancouver Resources Board) Vernon: Vernon and District Homemakers Society Victoria: Victoria Red Cross Homemaker Service James Bay Community Project Williams Lake: Williams Lake and District Homemakers Service V 62 HUMAN RESOURCES HOME AIDES SOCIETIES Brentwood Bay: Aid to Pensioners Chilliwack: Chilliwack Home Aides Cranbrook: Sparkling Grannies Merritt: Merritt Home Care Services Vancouver: Cedar Cottage Services to Seniors The Downtown Community Health Clinic Fraserview Service for Seniors Home Aides Resource Team Kitsilano Inter-Neighbourhood Development Marpole-Oakridge Senior Program St. James Social Service Society Senior Citizens Outreach COUNSELLING Goal—To assist in the resolution of personal and family problems. Description—Over the years the Ministry has become increasingly involved in providing counsel to persons with individual and family problems. Counselling involves a wide range of services from basic information to resolving marital and family stress. The service is carried out by staff or by referral to other agencies which are funded under the Ministry's Community Grants Program. Cost-sharing—Staff costs are shared by the two senior Governments on a 50:50 basis. In the case of community grants, the sharing is determined by the numbers of persons who are in need, which involves taking into account income levels according to family size. The following community grants were made in 1976 to non-profit societies offering counselling services: FAMILY LIFE PROGRAMS Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Abbotsford: $ Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford Community Services 16,000 J Burnaby: Burnaby Family Life 2,928 Campbell River: Campbell River Family Counselling & Crisis Line (percentage) 13,3981 Chilliwack: Chilliwack Community Services (percentage) 4.1401 Cowichan: Cowichan-Malahat Family Life Association 8,990 Kamloops: Kamloops Family Life Association 36,615 Langley: Langley Family Life Association 19,269 i The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 63 Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Mission: $ Mission Community Services (percentage) 4,3651 Nanaimo: Nanaimo Family Life Association 15,989 North Shore: North Shore Institute of Living and Learning 15,200 Port Alberni: Port Alberni Family Guidance and Volunteer Bureau (percentage) — 16,2041 Port Alice: North Island Family Life 1,995 Saanich: Saanich Peninsula Guidance Association 10,600 Surrey-White Rock: Surrey-White Rock Family Life Association 15,225 Victoria: Greater Victoria Citizens Counselling Service ... 32,050 CRISIS CENTRE PROGRAMS Campbell River: Campbell River Family Counselling and Crisis Line (percentage) 13,3981 Coquitlam: Coquitlam Share Society (percentage) 42,000 * Courtenay: Courtenay Crossroads Crisis Centre 23,841 Cranbrook: East Kootenay Mental Health Society 24,813 Kelowna: Advice ^Service . 750 Maple Ridge: Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Community Services (percentage) 15,600 * Nanaimo : Nanaimo Association for Intervention and Development 39,987 Nelson: Nelson Community Services Centre (percentage) 18,8041 Prince George: Prince George Crisis Centre 19,618 Quesnel: Quesnel Contact Line 26,856 Richmond: Chimo-Richmond Crisis Centre . 59,946 Surrey: Surrey Intersection Society 35,880 iThe figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. V 64 HUMAN RESOURCES Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Terrace: $ Terrace Community Resources Council (percentage) 6,575 * Victoria: Victoria NEED Crisis Line 26,339 INFORMATION AND REFERRAL CENTRES Burnaby: Burnaby North Information Centre 2,940 Burnaby South Information Centre 2,940 Kelowna: Advice Service Kelowna (percentage) 11,7941 North Vancouver: Burrard View Information Centre 2,205 Hub Information Centre 2,205 Lower Lonsdale Information Centre 2,205 Richmond : Richmond Information Centre 2,940 Victoria: Victoria Community Information 1,850 FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS Armstrong: Armstrong-Spallumcheen Community Services (percentage) 35,824J Burnaby: Burnaby Life Line Society . 52,059 Cassiar: B.C. Association of Non-Status Indians—Good Hope Lake Project 17,594 Chilliwack: Chilliwack Community Services (percentage) 9,6001 Coquitlam: Coquitlam SHARE Society 40,906 Coquitlam SHARE Society Home Aid Program 5,0431 Cranbrook: Cranbrook Sparkling Grannies Association 26,606 Kelly Lake: B.C. Association of Non-Status Indians—Kelly Lake Frontier College 25,298 Maple Ridge: Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Community Services (percentage) 1.2001 Merritt: Merritt Listening Post Society 18,276 Merritt Home Care Services 11,337 Nelson: Nelson Family Day Care and Child Care Society 11,397 North Shore: North Shore Neighbourhood House 15,918 North Shore Supportive Family Day Care Society 4,947 iThe figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 65 Name of Project and Location Parksville: Parksville District 69 Society of Organized Services Penticton: Penticton Special Action Groups Prince George: Prince George Moms & Kids Drop-In Centre Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert Friendship House Association Princeton: Princeton Community Services (percentage) .. Salmo : Salmo Community Playschool Surrey: Parents in Crisis Surrey Emergency Shelter Society Terrace: Terrace Mothers Time Off Vancouver: Family Service Group—lohn Howard Society Catholic Community Services Family Services of Greater Vancouver Vernon: Vernon & District Community Services (percentage) John Howard Society—Howard House Amount Granted, 1976 9,806 12,898 11,816 11,472 8.9101 75 7,850 6,999 10,646 42,296 37,500 61,149 34.3751 50,000 Total community grants 1,178,251 i The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES Goal—Advisory Committees are an expression of the Ministry's desire to facilitate citizen input, create public understanding, and determine how social services meet the needs of people. Description—For the first three months of the calendar year a number of grants were continued to elected Community Resources Boards prior to their dissolution (see table). Late in September 1976 the Ministry finalized and approved "Guidelines" for development of Ministry of Human Resources Advisory Commitees. These were distributed on request to mayors, councils, and school trustees in those communities where Community Resources Boards had been elected, as well as to members of other interested communities. At year-end, Prince George and Surrey had constituted Ministry of Human Resources Advisory Committees, with discussions going on regarding commitee establishment in several other communities. No financial payments were made on behalf of Advisory Committees during the 1976 calendar year. V 66 HUMAN RESOURCES Table 34—Community Resources Boards and Societies Funded by Community Programs Division for 1976 Calendar Year Amount Project Authorized $ Nelson Community Resources Society 9,888.00 Prince George Community Resources Board 8,100.001 South Cariboo Community Resource Council 1,890.00 Hazelton Community Resource Society 1,155.00 Lakes District Community Resources Society 222.00 Prince Rupert Community Resources Society 6,438.00 Smithers Community Services Association 6,663.00 Dawson Creek Area Resources Society 6,525.00 Kamloops Community Resources Board 7,305.001 Campbell River Community Resources Board 8,211.00 * Comox Valley Community Resources Society 690.00 Nanaimo Regional District Community Resources Society 5,468.00 Port Alberni Community Resources Board 6,558.0c1 Powell River Community Resources Society 4,572.00 Surrey/White Rock Community Resources Board 1,393.001 Nakusp Community Resources Board 2,940.001 Lillooet Community Resources Society 32.50 North Peace Community Resources Society (percentage) 15,109.OO2 1 Grant continued for first three months of calendar year prior to dissolution of Board. 2 The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to this particular program. VANCOUVER RESOURCES BOARD Vancouver Resources Board—The Vancouver Resources Board was intended to integrate various publicly funded social services in Vancouver and undertake decentralization of the social service delivery system. The staff was reorganized early in 1976 and the role of the former Community Resource Boards changed to that of advisers to the seven-member Vancouver Resources Board. There was renewed emphasis on foster home recruitment and there were major changes in accounting services and a position control system implemented. Copies of the Annual Report of the Vancouver Resources Board for 1976 are available on request from the Ministry of Human Resources, Division of Office Administration and Public Information. HEALTH CARE SERVICES Goal—The goal of health care services is to arrange for provision of quality health care for eligible persons at a reasonable cost. Description—The Ministry's Health Care Division offers consultation to social services and paramedical personnel and ensures that people are aware of the available services. In order to ensure the best possible service, the Division has the capacity to retain specialists in any field for consultation. The following groups of persons are eligible for health care coverage through the Ministry: "Unemployable" persons under 60 years of age who receive GAIN payments. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 67 Children in the care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare or in the home of a relative who receives income assistance on their behalf. GAIN recipients over 60 years of age who qualify through a needs test. Medical Services Plan "W" cards are issued to eligible persons. At year-end 1976, 117,682 persons (family heads and dependents) were covered. T otal Num Figure 11 ber of Persons Eligible for Health Care as at December 3 /, 1971 to 19'/ 6 131,855 115,813 120,084 126,633 117,682 112,836 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Accounts from medical practitioners (doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists, etc.) are paid by the Medical Services Plan of British Columbia. Accounts for hospital services are paid by the Hospital Programs Branch of the Ministry of Health. The Health Care Division of the Ministry of Human Resources processes accounts for the following additional services: A. Medical services—Payment is made for examinations that are required by the Ministry of Human Resources in connection with the administration of the GAIN Program. Payment is made on behalf of eligible persons who require medical clearance for activities such as camp attendance and sports. In some cases, when the yearly Medical Services Plan limit for physiotherapy has been exhausted, the Division may pay for a limited number of additional treatments. B. Provincial Pharmacy—The Provincial Pharmacy provided drugs to Government institutions such as Haney Correctional Institute and Government-financed operations such as community health clinics, the Downtown Health Clinic (in Vancouver), and the Kinsmen Foundation. Drugs and medical supplies are also provided to persons holding Medical Services Plan "W" cards. Holders of cards may obtain drugs from the Provincial Pharmacy or from their local pharmacies; 34,404 prescriptions were filled in 1976 by the Provincial Pharmacy. C. Dental services—Basic dental care is provided for all eligible persons. Special dental care, such as partial dentures, etc., may be provided, with the prior approval of the Division and its consultative staff. Dentists are paid at 90 per cent of their 1976 fee schedule. D. Optical services—Standard single vision or bifocal glasses are provided when prescribed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Unusual needs, such as special lenses, trifocals, or contact lenses, may also be provided, with prior approval of the Division. Optical suppliers are paid wholesale costs of materials, plus a fee for service. V 68 HUMAN RESOURCES E. Ancillary services—The Division provides prescribed nontransferable medical needs such as braces, artificial limbs and eyes, and surgical supports when clients' assets do not permit private purchase. If cost is less than $50, local offices of the Ministry of Human Resources may authorize purchase. If cost is over $50, prior approval of the Division is required. Prescribed wheelchairs may also be provided, but in such cases the client's needs may be assessed by the Canadian Paraplegic Association or other specialized agencies, at the Division's request, for the best advice in ordering the specific chair or other equipment which will meet the client's physical needs and environmental circumstances. F. Transportation—Transportation to and from clinics, nursing-homes, rehabilitation centres and hospitals can be provided for clients who cannot use public transportation. In cases of life-saving emergencies, transportation costs may be met for persons on marginal incomes. Local transportation can be authorized by the local office; out-of-Province transportation requires the prior approval of the Division. G. Special Health Needs Program—The Division may, at its discretion, provide any of the services listed in sections A to F (above) to persons on marginal incomes. H. Experimental programs—Although program budget is limited, the Division is always willing to consider provision of extraordinary items or treatment which may be prescribed for eligible clients. In 1976, for instance, the Division made some payments for acupuncture treatments, in two British Columbia centres, when the attending physician confirmed that standard medical care had not helped his patient. Table 35—Gross Costs oj Medical Services jor Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 and Calendar Year 1976 Provincial Ancillary Transpor- Year Medical Pharmacy Dental Optical Services tation Total 1976 _ 687,193 690,955 5,296,651 615,005 785,489 436,239 8,511,532 1975/76 793,8681 622,300 4,209,007 486,080 616,2343 374,850 7,102,339 1974/75 754,422 591,5392 2,380,266 409,213 257,808 387,554 4,780,801 1973/74 634,136 3,256,259 2,655,573 322,489 328,510 419,451 7,616,420 1972/73 677,194 3,626,268 2,429,538 304,387 264,522 367,888 7,669,797 1971/72 _ 614,365 3,334,160 2,403,257 290,116 165,979 342,712 7,150,589 i Costs in 1975 Report included some figures which are now under ancillary services. 2 Substantial reduction in 1974/75 and 1975 Provincial Pharmacy costs are accounted for by the introduction of the Pharmacare Program, commencing January 1, 1974. Drug costs for individuals eligible for the Ministry's health care services had been budgeted through the Provincial Pharmacy prior to January 1, 1974. 3 Increase over 1975 Report costs is due to inclusion of figures which were previously under medical costs. Cost-sharing—Most Health Care Division programs are cost-shared with the Federal Government on a 50:50 basis. BURIALS Goal—To provide for burial in those instances where there is no family or estate that can assume responsibility for the deceased. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 69 Description—Arrangements have been negotiated with the Funeral Directors' Association for the provision of caskets, funeral plots, and funeral services for deceased persons who have not left a sufficient estate to provide for burial and where family resources are insufficient. Table 36—Burials, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 Year 1976 1975/76 1974/75 Amount $ 275,898 220,654 187,027 Year 1973/74 1972/73 1971/72 Amount $ 158,109 166,212 187,513 Cost-sharing—The Federal-Provincial sharing on expenditures is 50:50. COMMUNITY GRANTS Goal—To provide encouragement to non-profit, community based societies who offer social services programs which meet a recognized need, are supportive to the statutory programs of the Ministry and, in addition, offer opportunities for citizens to volunteer their services. Description—In all areas outside Vancouver City, societies submit applications for grants through the local office of the Ministry. In order to ensure that services are co-ordinated, do not duplicate or fragment existing programs, and fall within the guidelines of the Ministry, all proposals are screened by the Regional Director. Recommendations are then forwarded to Community Programs Division, who process the information for senior administration. In 1976, 210 grants to community projects provided 490 full or part-time jobs throughout British Columbia (excluding Vancouver City which is reported as a separate item). The emphasis, however, continues to be on encouraging the use of volunteers and thus a far greater number of persons assisted projects by providing skills, time, and effort. The following table shows Ministerial expenditures on community grants in calendar year 1976 and fiscal years 1971/72 through 1975/76. Table 37—Community Grants, Ministerial Expenditures,1 Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 and 1975/76 1976 7,003,534 1973/74 2,871,707 1975/76 8,092,303 1974/75 9,313,165 1972/73 737,850 1971/72 242,678 i Includes the Vancouver Resources Board. Most of the projects that received community grants are listed in the Report under the related statutory programs they support. Funded projects that do not easily fit into one specific category are listed here: V 70 HUMAN RESOURCES TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS FOR HANDICAPPED AND SENIOR CITIZENS Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Armstrong: $ Armstrong-Spallumcheen Community Services Society (percentage) 8,280J Coquitlam: Coquitlam Senior Citizens Service 20,986 Dawson Creek: Dawson Creek Community Effort for Senior Citizens 35,404 Delta: Deltassist Transportation Program (percentage) 90,7801 Matsqui-Abbotsford : Matsqui-Abbotsford Senior Citizens Transportation Service 31,401 Mission: Mission Community Services (percentage) 3,000J Nelson: Nelson & District Homemakers Service Transportation Project 9,330 New Westminster: New Westminster Western Society for Senior Citizens 126,369 North Shore: North Shore Transportation Service 92,489 Penticton: Penticton Health & Welfare Association, re Penticton Multiple Sclerosis Project 8,353 Port Alberni: Port Alberni Wheels for the Handicapped 8,589 Prince George: Prince George Carefree Society 74,917 Princeton: Princeton Community Services (percentage) 32,9491 Quesnel: Quesnel & District Community Aid Society 24,802 Richmond: Richmond Volunteer Transportation 1,410 Sechelt: Sunshine Coast Community Resources Society Mini Bus (percentage) 26,6761 Surrey: Surrey Community Resources Society—Transportation Program (percentage) 33,342! Vernon: Vernon & District Community Services Society (percentage) .. 4691 Victoria: Victoria Arbutus Crafts Society 9,702 Victoria & Vancouver Island Multiple Sclerosis Society 10,780 1 The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 71 Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 White Rock: $ White Rock Community Aid (percentage) 49,7051 Province-wide: B.C. Lions Society for Crippled Children 72,929 MULTI-SERVICE AGENCIES Chilliwack: Chilliwack Community Services (percentage) 26,2081 Cowichan: Cowichan Lake Activity Centre (percentage) 41,115 * Delta: Deltassist (percentage) 51,200x Langley: Langley Community Services 3,66c1 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows: Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Community Services 32,5921 Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford : Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford Community Services (percentage) 35,135r Mission: Mission Community Services (percentage) 31,1911 Nelson; Nelson Community Services Centre (percentage) 33,1761 Penticton: Penticton Co-operative Community Services (percentage) 26,593 * Sechelt: Sunshine Coast Community Services Centre (percentage) 18.4801 Surrey: Surrey Community Resource Society 113,7621 INDIAN FRIENDSHIP CENTRES (COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS) 2 Dawson Creek: Dawson Creek Nawican Indian Friendship Centre 4,602 Fort St. John: Fort St. John Keeginaw Indian Friendship Centre 4,602 Kamloops: Kamloops Interior Indian Friendship Centre 4,602 Kelowna: Kelowna Central Okanagan Indian Friendship Centre 4,602 Mission-Abbotsford : Mission-Abbotsford Indian Friendship Centre Society 4,602 Nanaimo: Nanaimo Tillicum Haus Society 4,602 i The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. 2 Effective July 1, 1976, the funding of Indian Friendship Centres was provided by the First Citizens' Fund (.Indian Advisory Act) but administered by the Ministry of Human Resources. V 72 HUMAN RESOURCES Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Port Alberni: $ Port Alberni Indian Friendship Centre 4,602 Prince George: Prince George Doh De Day Claa Indian Friendship Society 2,301 Quesnel: Quesnel Tillicum Society . 4,602 Smithers: Smithers Friendship House Association 4,602 Vancouver: Vancouver Indian Centre Society 2,301 Victoria: Victoria Native Indian Friendship Centre 4,602 Williams Lake: Williams Lake Cariboo Indian Friendship Society 4,602 Province-wide: Pacific Association of Communication in Friendship Indian Centres 22,152 VOLUNTEER BUREAUX (PROVIDE SUPPORT TO MANY OTHER PROGRAMS) Chilliwack: Chilliwack Community Services (percentage) 8,0521 Cranbrook: Cranbrook East Kootenay Volunteer Bureau 7,965 Delta: Deltassist (percentage) 9,1201 Fort St. John: North Peace Community Resources Society (percentage) 11,870 J Golden : Golden Community Resources Society 3,772 Kitimat: Kitimat Community Services (percentage) 7,0931 Langley: Langley Community Services (percentage) 4,2401 Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford : Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford Community Services (percentage) 16,0001 Mission: Mission Community Services (percentage) 5,0401 North Shore: North Shore Volunteers for Seniors 8,985 Penticton: Penticton Co-operative Community Services (percentage) 8,760r Port Alberni: Port Alberni Family Guidance & Volunteer Bureau (percentage) 16,204! Prince George: Prince George Volunteer Bureau 3,216 i The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 73 Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Terrace: $ Terrace Community Resource Council (percentage) 6,5751 Vancouver: Volunteer Bureau of Greater Vancouver, re Voluntary Action Resource Centre 27,291 Vernon: Vernon Volunteer Bureau 5,376 Victoria: Victoria Volunteer Bureau 19,759 ANTI-POVERTY/LOW-INCOME GROUPS Coquitlam: Coquitlam SHARE Society (percentage) 42,000J Courtenay: Upper Island Low Income Society 8,463 Houston: Houston Social Culture and Recycle Arts Program 6,930 Nelson: Nelson Community Action Society 180 New Westminster: New Westminster Self Aid Never Ends Society (SANE) 25,857 North Shore: North Shore Co-operative Projects Society 19,185 Penticton: South Okanagan Buyers Co-operative 2,031 Sidney: Sidney Community Action Society 743 Surrey: Surrey SHARE Centre 7,836 Vancouver: Federated Anti-Poverty Group 9,450 Vernon: Vernon North Okanagan Aid Society 5,688 Victoria: Victoria Community Action Society 35,843 Victoria & Vancouver Island Mobile Community Food Service 13,978 Victoria Self Help Society 2,714 MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAMS Aldergrove: Ishtar Women's Transition House 8,710 Duncan: Halalt Indian Band Association 2,548 i The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. V 74 HUMAN RESOURCES Name of Project and Location Prince George: Prince George Community Services Centre Prince Rupert: Pacific Northwest Native Co-operative Richmond: Golden Rods and Reels Saanich: Saanich Peninsula Community Resource Society Saltspring Island: Saltspring Island Community Society Shuswap: Shuswap Youth Centre Society, re Salmon Arm Community Project Surrey: Surrey Co-ordinating Centre Terrace: Native Action for Social Justice Vancouver: The Vinery Outreach Program SEARCH Victoria: Victoria Women's Transition House Resources Exchange Project Fernwood Community Association Esquimalt-Vic West-View Royal Advisory Association Downtown Blanshard Advisory Association Province-wide: B.C. Federation of Foster Parents Association Social Planning and Review Council B.C. Association of Social Workers Canadian Council on Social Development B.C. Indians Homemakers Association Amount Granted, 1976 $ 4,500 36,407 1,500 11,508 13,504 11,763 12,045 3,955 900 1,500 4,528 17,340 9,532 1,393 14,556 14,114 55,000 22,500 15,000 16,000 3,420 In Vancouver City, the Vancouver Resources Board administered the Community Grants Program on behalf of the Ministry, to provide non-statutory social services to Vancouver residents. To be eligible, an agency's program must fall within the guidelines and priorities of the Ministry and the Vancouver Resources Board, and not include educational, medical, recreational, or correctional projects. The following is a list of community agencies, funded by the Vancouver Resources Board, Community Grants Program, in the fiscal year 1976/77, for grants approved as of December 31, 1976. Also shown is the percentage breakdown of each category of service and the total grants approved in each category: CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS 23 Grants (18.25%) $292,415.54 Co-Op Homes for Single Parents Big Sisters Unitarian Family Life _ Volunteer Grandparents Family Place 48,152.00 18,729.00 15,100.00 37,895.00 55,618.96 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 75 $ Kits Focus 5,000.00 Killarney Family Centre 1,510.00 Fleming Family Education 1,510.00 Foster Parents Association 750.00 Family Outreach Project 29,395.00 Natural Parents Group 2,400.00 Renfrew Collingwood Family Project 19,260.00 Grandview Woodland Family Project 11,845.36 Mt. Pleasant Family Centre 24,530.00 People Place 11,690.22 One Parent Project 160.00 Parents & Adolescents in Crisis Group 372.00 Killarney Life Skills 495.00 Single Parents Student Group 240.00 Fijian Family Worker 3,547.00 Native Orientation for Women 250.00 Kits Mothers & Tots Group 104.00 S. Vancouver Native Indian Worker 3,862.00 SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SENIORS AND HANDICAPPED Seniors (15.26%) $244,581 Carefree 3,500.00 Crossreach 56,529.00 ASK Seniors 19,332.00 Cedar Cottage Seniors 60,780.00 Marpole Oakridge Seniors 37,299.00 Tonari Gumi 16,550.00 Chown Adult Day Centre 8,877.00 FACES 5,000.00 Mt. Pleasant Seniors 500.00 Renfrew Collingwood Seniors Program 20,700.00 Happy Family Activities Group 200.00 Activities Research Senior Citizens 250.00 Kitsilano Seniors Party 244.00 West End Adult Care 6,570.00 Elderly Citizens Handicapped Co-ordinator 8,250.00 HANDICAPPED (20.54%) $329,089 Mental Patients Association 1 43,949.00 Vancouver Community Workshop _ 34,214.40 3H Society 10,692.00 Coast Foundation 97,165.00 Handicapped Resource Centre 104,550.00 Downtown Handicapped Program 11,064.00 HEAR HEAR Program 5,400.00 Kitsilano Workshop 20,149.00 Douglas Park Handicapped Outreach 1,680.60 Perceptual Motor Skills 225.00 YOUTH PROGRAMS 24 Grants (9.53%) $152,764.72 Kitsilano Youth Worker 16,000.00 Gordon House Childrens Program 7,900.00 Gordon House Youth Worker 9,500.00 Strathcona Youth Co-ordinator 13,333.00 Native Indian Youth Worker 11,000.00 Fairview Mt. Pleasant Summer Fun 3,373.00 Kiwassa MacDonald Project 4,104.00 V 76 HUMAN RESOURCES $ Marpole Oakridge Summer Youth Diversion 500.00 SAK Summer Youth Diversion Project 1,000.00 Social Enrichment ~— 10,726.00 Streetfront Development 300.00 Summer Fun 1976 2,400.00 Kivan Summer Fun 1,980.00 Franklin School Youth Worker 9,333.00 Strathcona Summer Enrichment Program 2,650.00 Perspective 460.00 Fraser School Child Care Counsellor 9,839.00 Guidance Through Group Work 8,000.00 Cedar Cottage Kensington Youth Project 8,343.00 Carleton Social Adjustment 3,486.60 Mt. Pleasant Teen Centre 7,000.00 Marpole Oakridge Youth Project 5,814.36 SAK Youth Project 6,447.76 Grandview Woodland Native Youth Worker 9,275.00 CRISIS CENTRES AND DROP-IN CENTRES 4 Grants (2.86%) $45,827 Crisis Centre Vancouver Crisis Centre 21,464.00 Drop-in Centres Door Is Open 10,000.00 New Hope Drop In 2,813.00 Dugout Day Centre 11,550.00 LOW INCOME GROUPS 4 Grants (2.84%) $45,541.20 Greater Vancouver Helpful Neighbour Society 38,319.20 Grandview Free Store __ 5,770.00 Little Mountain Activities Society 952.00 Little Mountain Tenants Association 500.00 TRANSPORTATION FOR SENIORS AND HANDICAPPED 6 Grants (6.69%) $107,303.50 Senior Citizens Outreach 52,800.00 Kitsilano Senior Citizens Group 12,033.00 Fraserview Transportation Service 16,057.00 Kitsilano Transportation Service 8,211.00 Fairview Mt. Pleasant Transportation Service , 8,662.50 Grandview Senior Citizens Outreach 9,540.00 MISCELLANEOUS 9 Grants (23.99%) $384,477.06 MOSAIC 111,000.00 Vancouver Indian Centre 23,859.00 St. James Social Service 104,785.92 Downtown Community Health Society 87,458.80 MacLean Park Driver Training Project 11,000.00 Kitsilano Greek Worker 12,421.00 Tenants Advisory Counselling Service 11,782.50 Neighbour to Neighbour 13,817.00 Mt. Pleasant Neighbourhood Centre 8,352.84 SERVICES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 79 GAIN (GUARANTEED AVAILABLE INCOME FOR NEED) FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS Goal—To provide the income essential for disabled persons to meet their everyday living requirements and maintain their sense of independence and dignity. Description—As a part of the Guaranteed Available Income for Need Program (GAIN), disabled persons over 18 years of age are guaranteed a monthly income of $265 per person (December 1976 rates). For detailed statistics and further information, see the section on GAIN in "Services for Senior Citizens." Field staff of the Ministry determine eligibility in so far as income is concerned, then each applicant's medical documentation is sent to the Ministry's Health Care Division in Vancouver for a determination of sociomedical eligibility. The following table depicts the number of recipients and Ministerial expenditures for the month of December in each of the years 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976: Table 38—GAIN jor Handicapped Persons Number of Ministerial Recipients Expenditures $ December 1973 6,300 1,237,000 December 1974 8,700 1,892,000 December 1975 9,918 2,326,103 December 1976 10,680 2,660,052 Cost-sharing—The Federal Government participates in the cost of GAIN for handicapped persons in those cases where assets do not exceed $1,500 (single) or $2,500 (couple). The following community grants were made to non-profit societies operating programs for handicapped persons during 1976: Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Courtenay: $ Bevan Lodge Association 1,800 Grand Forks: Grand Forks Society for the Handicapped 5,833 Mission: Mission Workshop Association 4,920 Nelson : Kootenay Society for the Handicapped 770 Nelson Silver King Workshop 3,098 North Shore: North Shore YMCA—Integrated Handicapped Program ,. 4,770 Surrey: Surrey Rehabilitation Workshop 30,800 Surrey Senior Citizens Activation and Motivation Program 65,361 V 80 HUMAN RESOURCES Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Vancouver: $ Canadian Red Cross Swimming for the Disabled 6,036 Vancouver-Richmond Association for the Mentally Retarded 10,000 Victoria: Greater Victoria Activity Centre Society, re Swan Lake Centre 50,000 Victoria Citizens Advocacy 14,000 Victoria Physically Handicapped Action Committee 6,846 Province-wide: Association of Concerned Handicapped 23,577 B.C. Mental Retardation Institute 33,000 Canadian Paraplegic Association 58,000 Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (B.C. Division) 10,200 Total 329,011 ACHIEVEMENT CENTRES This program was previously called the Activity Centres Program for Handicapped Persons. The new name better reflects the diversity of programs offered by agencies in their quest to help handicapped persons improve their quality of life. Goal—To provide assistance to registered non-profit societies or agencies which operate programs designed to improve the quality of life for handicapped persons over school-leaving age. Description—At least three types of achievement centres have evolved throughout the Province: (1) Centres which offer programs for teaching and practice of life skills, social skills, and which often use arts and crafts as focal points of operation. (2) Workshops which aim to provide supervised and non-competitive work for those persons unable to enter the regular labour force. This is most often accomplished by the manufacture or refurbishing of articles for sale, or contract work for other organizations. (3) Comprehensive work-rehabilitation programs, which by means of assessment, training, and job seeking, aim to place people into the regular labour force. A number of centres operate components of all three programs. To be eligible for financial support from the Ministry of Human Resources, centres must agree to the following conditions: (1) To serve physically or mentally handicapped persons over school- leaving age, regardless of the handicapping condition. (2) To provide evidence of continuing community support. (3) To accept participants from community boarding-homes without charging a fee (approximately half of the subsidized centres in the Province charge a "training fee" to participants who do not reside in boarding-homes). (4) To ensure that charges made for contract work are comparable to rates charged by the private sector for similar work performed. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 81 (5) To operate under the auspices of a registered agency or non-profit society. Once approved, centres submit monthly billing forms to the Ministry of Human Resources and payment is based on a formula determined by the number of user/ hours per month. The monthly grants give assistance with staff salaries and (or) costs of supplies. Effective July 1, 1976, a new formula of payments was introduced. The effect has been to remove certain anomalies contained in the old formula, and to provide an increased grant to the majority of centres. The new formula pays a rate of 62.5 cents for each user/hour. At year-end, 64 centres were in receipt of grants, and the amounts paid to each are listed at the end of this section. Approximately 3,600 persons attend the centres each month. During the year there has been an upsurge in the number of workshops aiming to expand their areas of manufactured items for sale. Usually this has been directed toward a movement away from items which, historically and traditionally, have been produced by handicapped people, into new and innovative areas of production. To help this concept, the Ministry of Human Resources and the Ministry of the Provincial Secretary jointly sponsored an exhibition of work from workshops for the handicapped at the Pacific National Exhibition. The diversity and complexity of goods displayed has done much to enhance the public image of the capabilities of workshops. A second exhibition was shown to the trade at the Pacific Furniture Market during November 1976. The result has been a dramatic increase in the potential volume of production work, and a number of centres are currently addressing ways and means of meeting the new challenge. Ministerial grants to Achievement Centres totalled $1,608,458 in 1976, up from $1,204,014 in 1975. Cost-sharing—The Federal Government shares costs based on the percentage of achievement centre participants whose income is no higher than Provincial support levels. For example, if 80 per cent of an achievement centre's participants are GAIN (handicapped allowance) recipients, the Federal Government will pay 50 per cent of the costs on that 80 per cent. Ministerial expenditures to Achievement Centres in 1976 were as follows: Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Abbotsford: $ MSA Community Services 31,872.75 MSA Association for the Retarded 38,664.25 Armstrong: Armstrong-Enderby Association for the Mentally Retarded 18,008.50 Burnaby: Burnaby Association for the Mentally Retarded 40,372.50 Campbell River: Campbell River District Association for the Mentally Retarded .... 13,987.50 Castlegar: Kootenay Society for the Handicapped 10,890.00 Chilliwack: Chilliwack & District Opportunity Workshop 18,950.00 Courtenay: Bevan Lodge Association 46,432.25 V 82 HUMAN RESOURCES Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Cranbrook: $ Kootenay Society for Handicapped Children 21,679.001 Creston: Kootenay Society for Handicapped Children 11,260.00 Dawson Creek: Dawson Creek Society for Handicapped Children 16,022.49 Duncan: Duncan and District Association for the Mentally Retarded 32,476.37 Grand Forks: Grand Forks and District Society for the Handicapped 9,360.00 Hope: Hope Association for the Retarded 11,610.00 Invermere: Windermere and District Social Service Society 14,387.87 Kamloops: Kamloops Society for the Retarded 54,710.00 Kelowna : Canadian Mental Health Association 40,575.87 Kelowna and District Society for the Mentally Retarded 42,126.75 Langley: Langley Association for the Handicapped 23,456.24 Maple Ridge: Maple Ridge Association for the Mentally Retarded 25,328.00 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Community Services Council 28,120.35 Merritt: Nicola Valley Association for the Mentally Retarded 12,875.00 Mission: Mission Workshop Association 30,416.22 Nanaimo : Canadian Mental Health Association 15,240.00 Nanaimo Association for the Mentally Retarded 26,362.49 Nelson: Kootenay Society for the Handicapped 17,993.75 New Westminster: New Westminster-Coquitlam Society for the Retarded 76,928.99 Sha-Sha Club 28,263.00 North Vancouver: Canadian Mental Health Association 13,512.50 North Shore Association for the Mentally Retarded 46,169.372 Penticton : Penticton and District Society for the Mentally Handicapped 46,423.00 Port Alberni: Alberni District Association for the Mentally Retarded 14,743.75 i December figure estimated. 2 November figure estimated. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 83 Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Port Coquitlam: $ New View Society 12,000.00 Powell River: Powell River Association for the Mentally Handicapped 32,156.74 Prince George: Prince George and District Association for the Retarded 23,508.13 Princeton : Princeton and District Community Services 7,250.00 Quesnel: Quesnel and District Association for the Mentally Retarded 11,790.00 Salmon Arm: Salmon Arm Association for the Mentally Retarded 23,692.50 Sardis: Upper Fraser Valley Society for the Retarded 14,943.12 Squamish: Howe Sound Association for the Mentally Retarded 2,160.00 Surrey: Surrey Association for the Mentally Retarded 29,385.62 Terrace: Terrace Association for the Mentally Retarded 7,060.00 Trail: Kootenay Society for the Handicapped 14,545.62 Vancouver: Canadian Mental Health Association 37,688.74! Coast Foundation Society 41,540.623 St. lames' Social Service Society 11,608.00! Carscraft Bluebird Workshop 11,340.00 Vancouver Mental Patients Association Society 23,590.74 Vancouver-Richmond Association for the Mentally Retarded 141,402.50! Vernon: Canadian Mental Health Association 22,414.37 Vernon and District Association for the Mentally Retarded 45,705.00 Victoria : Arbutus Crafts Association 28,199.99 Canadian Mental Health Association 50,563.12 Greater Victoria Association for the Mentally Retarded 71,704.70 White Rock: White Rock District Modern Services Club for the Handicapped 23,760.00 Semiahmoo House Association 28,720.00 Williams Lake: The Summit 12,510.00 Total cost of Achievement Centres Program in 1976 1,608,458.27 i December figure estimated. 3 November and December figures estimated. For more information, contact your local Ministry of Human Resources or the Director, Special Care Adults Division, Parliament Buildings, Victoria. V 84 HUMAN RESOURCES EDUCATIONAL UPGRADING AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING Goal—To assist income assistance recipients needing vocational, educational, or rehabilitative training in order to obtain employment. Description—In 1976, policy was revised in order to eliminate single employable people from receiving educational assistance rather than seeking work. A close liaison is maintained with the Provincial Rehabilitation and Employment Program (PREP) counsellors, and it is only when they advise that a person requires further educational or vocational upgrading to become "job ready" that such assistance is provided. In addition, income assistance recipients who are single parents with dependent children are now screened more thoroughly to ensure that attendance at an education or training facility is essential for their future employment and to ensure that, by obtaining employment with their current education and training, their children will not suffer from loss of parenting by the provision of day care. Emphasis is now more on short-term vocational training than on longer term university training. When an income assistance recipient has been given a loan or grant from the Student Services Branch (Ministry of Education), to prepare for employment within one or two years, our Ministry may continue providing income assistance while the recipient is in school. In 1975 a new policy was established to allow such students a $100 exemption on their income assistance cheques for grants or loans that include living expenses. Eligibility for medical and dental coverage is not affected by attendance in school and day care subsidies are available. In addition to the program mentioned above, persons in receipt of income assistance are encouraged to upgrade their education through night school courses offered in local senior secondary schools or community colleges. Such upgrading may be necessary to qualify the person to take technical or vocational courses sponsored by Canada Manpower. A training grant of up to $25 monthly if the person has dependents, or $15 monthly if single, is available to assist with such academic upgrading or technical refresher courses. The restricted employment market this year has presented problems to staff members attempting a counselling service for income assistance recipients to determine a selection of upgrading and vocational training courses that will best benefit the individual when seeking employment. A survey of major district offices indicated the following problems: (1) Lengthy waiting-lists for Canada Manpower training courses where clients were "lost" because the waiting-period outlasted their motivation. (2) Canada Manpower, in rapidly changing economic and technological times, cannot foresee the job market for a trainee months ahead of graduation. Consequently, Ministry of Human Resources district offices must continue income assistance payments to individuals who have not obtained employment upon completion of courses and who, as a result, also require additional counselling and encouragement. In order to overcome these problems at the field level, a closer co-operation with PREP personnel in selecting recipients for assistance with training is being encouraged. Centrally, closer co-operation is being developed with the Ministry of Education branch responsible for vocational training. The Income Assistance Division continued to successfully participate in the Interministerial Student Support Committee initiated last year by the Student Services Branch of the Ministry of Education. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 85 The following figure shows Ministerial expenditures on Educational Upgrading and Vocational Training: Figure 12 Educational Upgrading and Vocational Training, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Years 1972-76 .160,000 $80,000 $185,000 $290,000 $303,566 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Cost-sharing—Costs of training grants are shared with the Federal Government on a 50:50 basis. WORK ACTIVITY PROJECTS Goal—The thrust of this program is to develop employment preparation-type projects which will provide income assistance recipients or persons likely to be in need with an improved capacity for entry or re-entry into employment. The focus is on the development of elementary skills relating to work, the restoration of self-confidence and a positive approach to real life situations, both in work and in the personal and social environment of the participant. Description—The goals of the program are accomplished by (a) providing a work experience; (b) training in life skills and classroom instruction in academic courses; if required; (c) referral and follow-up to job-finding agencies, vocational training. Three work activity projects were funded by the Ministry in 1976. The three projects in operation are: FOR ADULTS The Fraser Valley Work Activity Project, headquartered in Mission, continues to offer participants employment preparation through forestry and related work. The five crews (two in Chilliwack, one serving Mission and Abbotsford, and one each in Hope and Maple Ridge) work in the bush under the supervision of Forest V 86 HUMAN RESOURCES Service foremen for three weeks out of every four. During the fourth week the crews attend a Life Skills program co-ordinated by Fraser Valley College. Each participant in the project works an average of 140 hours per month and receives between $100 and $180 more than basic social assistance. However, the real value of the program lies not in the extra money the participants receive but the work experience and training which help prepare many of them for regular employment. Slightly over half (58 of 115) of the participants who left the project during 1976 left to take full-time employment. Others went on to vocational training and upgrading; but even for those who didn't find jobs the program was a success as many participants reported greatly enhanced feelings of self-worth and accomplishment after having worked on the project crews. The project expanded into Maple Ridge in November 1976, and by year-end 58 people were working on the five crews. This brought total participation to 173 persons. With the continued co-operation of the Forest Service and Fraser Valley College the program will undoubtedly continue to benefit many people. Projected future plans for the work activity project include provision of more meaningful work experiences for female participants as well as the addition of two staff members—one to help in the planning of work projects and the other to help with counselling and the referral and follow-up of participants to employment or vocational training. FOR YOUTH The work activity projects for boys and girls 15 to 18 years of age provide educational and (or) vocational training to youth who have withdrawn early from school. Two work activity projects for youth were funded in the Capital Region in 1976. Both projects are administered by the Greater Victoria Boys' and Girls' Club, a non-profit society. Participants are referred from the Family Court, the Ministry of Human Resources, and the school system. The two projects provide work experience, primarily through outdoor activity such as grounds maintenance, brush-clearing, environmental improvement activities, and a wood-lot operation. Some work placements in private businesses are also carried out on a short-term basis. A life-skill program is also provided which includes training in first aid, life- saving, and sports. Educational upgrading is strongly encouraged through participation in individual correspondence courses with the full co-operation of the local school district. Ministerial expenditures for work activity projects are as follows: Table 39—Work Activity Projects, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976, and Fiscal Years 1972/73 to 1975/76 Expenditure Year $ 1976 353,372 1975/76 399,604 1974/75 313,117 Expenditure Year $ 1973/74 366,710 1972/73 279,257 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 87 The two main centres for the program are Victoria and Langford. The Victoria section is limited to boys, while the Langford operation provides an opportunity for both boys and girls. A total of 100 young people participated in the projects between January and December 1976. Cost-sharing — Work activity projects are initiated by Provincial Ministries and shared on a 50:50 basis with the Federal Government. INCENTIVE OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM Goal—The objective of this program is rehabilitative. It seeks to provide a work-like experience for recipients. Such practical experience may improve the individual's competitive position in the labour market such that the individual can achieve economic independence. Description—The program is operated at the local level, with training placements being found by recipients and district offices in both Governmental and private non-profit agencies. The range of a job-training placement is, therefore, quite broad. Participants work in hospitals, libraries, schools, recreational associations, and social service agencies. The focus of the program is highly individualized with each recipient aiming to improve specific work-skill areas. At the outset, a staff worker from the district office and the recipient enter into a written agreement that outlines the goals the individual seeks to achieve, the job to be performed, and the agency where the opportunity is located. In return, the district office agrees to grant up to $50 per month for single recipients who provide a minimum of 20 hours of service per month, and up to $100 per month for recipients with dependents who provide at least 40 hours of service per month. The grants are not construed as a wage, but are considered as an honorarium to assist the individual with the extra costs he or she encounters. Participation in the program is purely voluntary and normally limited to six months' duration per contract. The following table illustrates numbers of persons and costs involved in the Incentive Opportunities Program. Table 40—Incentive Opportunities Program Number on Program (Average Over 12-month Cost of Program Calendar Year Period) $ 1976 2,400 2,965,270 1975 2,000 2,415,000 1974 4,200 4,400,000 1973 2,400 2,550,000 1972 2,300 1,750,000 The number of recipients on the Incentive Opportunities Program declined in 1975 following a policy decision to limit participation more strictly to instances where job training was leading to a definite job at the end of the six-month period on the program. Previously, recipients had often remained on the Incentive Program for a greater length of time than the six-month period. Cost-sharing—Costs are shared 50:50 with the Federal Government. V 88 HUMAN RESOURCES COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM Goal—The object of this program is to provide an opportunity for socially handicapped or otherwise unemployable persons to participate with others in Community Services endeavours, thereby benefiting both themselves and their community. Description—This program was introduced in June 1976. Like the Incentive Opportunities Program, the Community Involvement Program is operated at the local level with proceeds from both Governmental and private non-profit agencies and through co-operative ventures where mutual benefit is derived by participation with others. The Ministry of Human Resources provides a grant to participants in this program of $50 per month to cover transportation, clothing, and miscellaneous expenses associated with the program. Unlike the Incentive Opportunities Program, there are no compulsory hours for participants in the Community Involvement Program, nor is the duration of the contract time limited. These aspects are determined by the needs of the individual. Cost-sharing—The Community Involvement Program is cost-shared by the Federal Government on a 50:50 basis. SERVICES FOR THE RETARDED Goal—The Ministry of Human Resources strives to provide the opportunity for every mentally retarded person to achieve his or her maximum potential. As far as possible, every retarded child should have the opportunity to live with his or her own family and to participate fully in community life. As an adult, the retarded person has a right to economic security and the opportunity to engage in a meaningful occupation as determined by his or her capability. Description—It is still considered to be in the best interests of the mentally retarded, and in keeping with the principle of normalization, to refrain from creating a special division or department. Ministerial services, including those for retarded persons, are available to all citizens of the Province, based on the need for service, not by label or category. Each Ministerial program is reported in detail in its appropriate section of this Report. Below, however, is a listing of programs which have specific relation to the needs of the mentally retarded. Day Services Injant development (birth to 3 years) —A review of services indicated that valuable time may be lost if a delay occurs in providing appropriate stimulation and remedial assistance for the infant. A pilot home-based project sponsored by the Vancouver-Richmond Association for the Mentally Retarded had proven how effective direct service for the young child and support service for parents could be. The staff provide families with medical and social information and assist the families in utilizing specialist services in the community. In 1976, two new programs were funded by the Ministry in Kamloops and Kelowna, bringing the total number of Infant Development Programs to nine. Some 300 infants are now being seen on a regular basis, many group sessions for mothers and infants are also now in operation. Encouraging results are being reported of youngsters from the earlier programs who are now attending regular pre-school and kindergarten classes. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 89 Requests for further programs continue to be received. The Provincial Advisory Committee has been very active during the year, establishing guidelines, standards, and philosophy. Day care (age 3 to 6 years)—Day care services, particularly under the policy of day care for children with special needs, has assisted many handicapped children to enjoy a useful day care experience. School-age children—Through special chapter schools and School Board sponsored schools and special class opportunities, increasing numbers of mentally retarded children are able to attend school with their peers. In some communities the Ministry has funded alternative school projects that have been designed to meet the special needs of retarded youngsters. Activity centres—Through a growing number of activity centres and sheltered workshops, most handicapped adults can spend the greater part of each day in productive and rewarding activities. Residential Programs Foster homes—Many handicapped children and some adults, unable to continue in their own homes, have found foster homes to be a placement of choice. Group homes—For many handicapped persons, group homes (sponsored by local community groups or chapters of the Association for the Retarded) provide an agreeable place to live. By the end of the year, 446 retarded persons resided in group homes. Short-stay hostels—Many parents need a short respite from the responsibility of caring for a handicapped child. New short-stay hostel accommodations were developed and funded in Burnaby and Victoria in 1975 to meet this need. Similar hostels had been established earlier in Sardis and Vancouver. A summer program was launched in co-operation with the Loyal Protestant Home for Children in New Westminster. Year-round capacity is available for short stays for retarded children and adults in several extended-care facilities, Woodlands, Tranquille, and Glendale. Training centres — The following centres are available to assist residents to prepare for independent living in their own homes or communities: Name of Training Centre and Location Capacity Endicott Home, Creston 62 Northern Training Centre, Smithers 33 Beaver Lodge, Oliver 32 Variety Farm, Delta 44 Chrisholme, Langley 24 Bevan Lodge, Courtenay 65 Total capacity 260 These training centres are funded by the Ministry of Human Resources to provide life-skill instruction for retarded adults who have previously lived in institutions but who may be able to move to more independent living arrangements once they have learned to perform basic daily skills. Many necessities such as shopping and cleaning one's clothes are, of course, carried out by others in institutional settings, so these skills must be taught to persons who have not had the opportunity to develop the ability and confidence needed for greater independence. Boarding and personal care homes — A total of 3,600 handicapped persons reside in boarding and personal care homes throughout the Province. The Ministry V 90 HUMAN RESOURCES is grateful to the many volunteers who visit and arrange programs over and above those supplied by the home operators. Independent living—More emphasis is being given to providing apartments or condominiums for handicapped persons who can look after themselves as long as they have someone to turn to should extraordinary circumstances arise. An example of this arrangement is the Arlington Street Townhouses sponsored by the Vancouver-Richmond Association for the Retarded in Vancouver. RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS I. Glendale Lodge Glendale serves the residents of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands by providing residential care and training for 300 severely and profoundly retarded persons. Additional services include assessment services for mentally retarded persons, audiological assessments for children with hearing handicaps, and day care service for multiple-handicapped adults residing in the Greater Victoria area. The Glendale Lodge Society is operated under the Societies Act by a Board of Directors appointed by Order in Council for a two-year term. For program planning purposes, Glendale relates to the Ministry of Human Resources in the same manner as Woodlands and Tranquille. The following table gives statistical information on Glendale: Table 41—Glendale Lodge 1975 1976 Resident population as at December 31 307 305 Admissions, 12 months 142 14 Discharges 122 16 Waiting-list 9 Staff establishment as at December 31 384.5 383 II. Tranquille Tranquille is a facility for the mentally retarded of all ages, located in Kamloops. Living in Tranquille are long-stay residents who require training and education and extended-care patients who require active nursing and medical care. There are also numerous short-stay residents. The emphasis in Tranquille is placed on preparing the residents for gradual return to community living. The highlight of 1976 was the opening of Stsmemelt Village, which consists of 100 beds for children. It has 10 apartments, each containing 10 beds and in this facility the most active of the treatment programs are carried out. The following table gives statistical information on Tranquille: Table 42—Tranquille 1975 1976 Resident population as at December 31 410 384 Admissions, 12 months 80 36 Discharges 65 24 Waiting-list 20 45 Staff establishment as at December 31 491 490 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 91 III. Woodlands Woodlands is the largest Provincial facility for the mentally retarded. In residence are children and adults for whom there is no available resource within their own community. The main goals in 1976 were community involvement, staff development, reduction of overcrowding, and improvement of the facilities. Staff Development and Psychology Department arranged practicums and workshops for staff, students, community agencies, and people from a variety of professional backgrounds. Training and Education Department participated in planning with Government departments and local school boards to initiate schooling for all resident school-age children. The Vocational Service Department collaborated with community resources to provide adult education for residents. A close interaction with medical facilities within the community has continued. Volunteer programs emphasized personal attention to the individual resident. The reduction of population at Woodlands is a direct reflection of community placement. However, it is still apparent that there are few suitable alternatives in the community for the severe and profoundly retarded. Only one child from the younger ambulant group was placed. Of the 75 placements to community resources, 15 were to extended-care hospitals. The following table gives statistical information on Woodlands: Table 43—Woodlands 1969 1975 1976 Resident population as at December 31 1,261 1,004 962 Admissions, 12 months 178 49 50 Deaths, 12 months 14 16 10 Waiting-list 200 2 3 Staff establishment as at December 31 924 999 999 The following table reports Ministerial expenditures at Woodlands, Tranquille, and Glendale in 1976: Table 43A—Residential Institutions jor the Retarded, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 Name of Institution $ Millions Woodlands 15.91 Tranquille 7.81 Glendale 6.22 i Ministerial fundings for period April 1 to December 31, 1976. Funding to Woodlands and Tranquille previous to April 1, 1975, was provided by the Department of Health. 2 Indicates Ministerial funding for period January 1 to December 31, 1976. CHILDREN'S REHABILITATION SERVICES Goal—To provide alternative rehabilitation programs to youth not attending public schools. Description—Rehabilitation programs for teenage youngsters have been in existence in British Columbia for at least five years. Typically, they were started by groups or societies which identified significant numbers of young people who were dropping out of school without any viable alternative and simultaneously exhibiting other social and (or) legal problems. These programs were funded from V 92 HUMAN RESOURCES a number of sources—LIP, OFY, community grants (Ministry of Human Resources), as well as some private sources. These programs were formalized for the fiscal year 1974/75 and provision was made for joint funding by the Ministries of Education and Human Resources on a regularized basis. There has also been some financial input from the Corrections Branch (Ministry of the Attorney-General) to a few of the programs. The group of children we are attempting to serve via this program are those who are "high risk," and the most frequent indicator is the fact that they have or are about to "drop out" of school. There is certainly sufficient evidence to suggest that, for large numbers of children who take this step, further difficulties ensue. Our Ministry's function is largely a facilitating one in making it possible for these children and young people to continue to participate in an educational experience. In addition, there are very definite steps taken in most of the programs to deal with family difficulties, acquisition of acceptable social skills, and an orientation to the world of work. The Ministry's involvement in the program is through the provision of child care workers to the 94 programs. Close to half of the programs have some kind of work activity component which is similar in its objectives to the Federally funded work activity programs for adults. There is also a very significant life-skills component to most of the programs which include budgeting, job finding, cooking, and housekeeping, etc. Most of the programs show a fairly righ rate of reintegration into the community as indicated by return to regular school programs, entrance to vocational training programs, or securing employment. In most cases this kind of movement can be attributed to the intervention of the child care worker who is able to bring about some modification of the behaviours which have led in many cases to the child's exclusion from the school situation. A survey conducted in 1974 indicated that almost half of the children enrolled in these programs were on probation and a considerably higher proportion had been in conflict with the law in some way. In 1975 we expanded the use of this program to serve younger children who are physically and (or) mentally handicapped. This has resulted in the inclusion of significant numbers of children who have been excluded from school and the associated socializing experiences. At a cost to the Ministry of $1.7 million, 112 programs operated in 1976 throughout the Province. Cost-sharing—Arrangements with the Federal Government to share costs on the Children's Rehabilitation Services Program was under negotiation at year-end. Projects funded by the Ministry of Human Resources in 1975 were as follows: Abbotsford: Reach Out Transition Class Armstrong: Armstrong Rehabilitation Program Bella Coola: Bella Coola Rehabilitation Program Burnaby: Bonsar Park Alternate School Program Donald Patterson School Burns Lake: Rehabilitative Program for Youth Campbell River: Chimo School Campbelton Elementary Class REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 93 Castlegar: Open Road Centre Chetwynd: Chetwynd Attendance Centre Chilliwack: Operation "Bridge" Re-entry Program III Coquitlam: Shaft Rehabilitative Program Courtenay: The House Sandwick School Cowichan: Cowichan Valley Family Life Program Cranbrook: Cranbrook Early Intervention Program Creston Rehabilitation Program Dawson Creek: Dawson Creek Attendance Centre Fort St. John: Fort St. John Rehabilitation Programs Golden: Golden Alternate School Program Gold River: Gold River Alternate School Gulf Islands: Gulf Islands Resource Worker Invermere: Opportunities Co-ordination Kamloops: McDonald Park Operation Re-entry Kelowna: Kelowna Alternate School Program Kimberley: Focus Lab. Kitimat: Kitimat City High Lake Cowichan: Lake Cowichan Alternate Education Langley: Alternate Learning Environment Program D. W. Poppy Junior Secondary School Brookswood Lillooet: Lillooet Rehabilitation Program Maple Ridge: Maple Ridge Rehabilitation Program Merritt: Merritt Alternate School Program for Youth Mission: Education for Life Program Nanaimo: Northfield Alternate Program Rehabilitation Class Physically Handicapped Class Gyro Park Nelson: Aspire Program New Westminster: New Westminster Rehabilitation Program North Vancouver: Project Alternative Secondary School (PASS) Prince Charles School Progress Centre Oliver: Oliver Alternate School Program V 94 HUMAN RESOURCES 100 Mile House: Cedar Crest School 100 Mile House Rehabilitation Program Parksville: Parksville-Qualicum Rehabilitation Program Penticton: Penticton Rehabilitation Class—"SKAHA House" Port Alberni: Emotionally Disturbed Class (Gill School Class) Project 70/74 Project 70/75 Project 70/76 Port Hardy: Port Hardy Alternate Education Program Powell River: Powell River Rehabilitation School Prince George: Aurora School for the Trainable Mentally Retarded Physically Handicapped Class Queen Charlotte Islands: Rehabilitation of Educationally Disadvantaged Students Quesnel: Alternate Class Project Revelstoke: Revelstoke Rehabilitation Program Richmond: Richmond Alternate Education Program—Station Stretch Cook School Saanich: Warehouse School Royal Oak Salmon Arm: Salmon Arm Alternate Learning Program Sechelt: Sechelt Rehabilitation Program Smithers: Smithers Alternate School Program Sooke Village: Sooke Alternative Program Squamish: Squamish Alternate School Summerland: Summerland Rehabilitation Class Surrey: Surrey Alternate Education Programs (four programs) Tahsis: Tahsis Alternate School Terrace: Terrace Alternate Education Program Trail: Elementary Rehabilitation Class Secondary Rehabilitation Program Trail Autistic Class Sunningdale School for the Trainable Mentally Retarded West Vancouver: Sentinal Work Activity Program (SWAP) Williams Lake: Williams Lake Rehabilitation Program Program II Vancouver: Bridge Byng Satellite 8J-9J REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 95 KAT Class Kumtuks Last Chance OK West OK East Riley Rehabilitation Sunrise East Streetfront Total Education The Vinery Vanderhoof: Nechako Attendance Centre Vavenby: Rehabilitation Program Vernon: Vernon Rehabilitation Program Victoria: George Jay Rehabilitation Program Girls Alternative Program S. J. Willis Rehabilitation Program MEALS ON WHEELS Goal—To provide nutritious meals to persons who are unable to cook or shop for themselves on a regular basis and who have no one to do these things for them. Description—Meals on Wheels is a voluntary community service that provides a preventive and therapeutic service. Meals on Wheels can be used in conjunction with other services, such as homemaker services, on a long- or short- term basis. Volunteers provide the staffing for the program and their visits provide a continuing link between the homebound individual and the community, as well as helping to identify other problems and needs before a crisis occurs. The Ministry of Human Resources has been involved in assisting with the establishment of several new programs. Grants have been made to some Meals on Wheels groups to offset the costs of co-ordinating the service or to partially subsidize the cost of providing the meals. It is important to note that Government input has been to support the efforts of the volunteers, without whom Meals on Wheels programs would founder. Forty-six Meals on Wheels programs are now operating throughout the Province, making British Columbia the leader in Canada in this area. In several communities, Meals on Wheels is run in association with a homemaker service. Community grants were made to Meals on Wheels programs in the following communities during 1976: Burnaby: Burnaby Meals on Wheels Campbell River: Campbell River Meals on Wheels Castlegar: Castlegar Meals on Wheels Chilliwack: Chilliwack Meals on Wheels Comox: Comox Valley Meals on Wheels Cranbrook: Cranbrook "Sparkling Grannies" Grand Forks: Grand Forks Meals on Wheels Kelowna: Kiwanis Meals on Wheels Nakusp: Nakusp Meals on Wheels Nanaimo: Nanaimo Meals on Wheels V 96 HUMAN RESOURCES New Denver: Upper Slocan Meals on Wheels New Westminster: New Westminster Meals on Wheels North Vancouver: North Shore Mobile Meals Parksville: Parksville SOS Meals on Wheels Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert Meals on Wheels Saltspring Island: Saltspring Island Meals on Wheels Terrace: Terrace Meals on Wheels Trail: Trail Meals on Wheels Victoria: Victoria Silver Threads Cost-sharing—The Federal Government does not participate in this program. HOSTELS AND TRANSITION HOUSES Goal—To provide short-term shelter for persons who require a temporary place to stay. Description—Twenty-four facilities in the Province provide shelter on a limited-time basis. Most are administered by non-profit societies. When residents require financial aid, they may apply to the nearest Ministry of Human Resources office where their needs may be met in the form of direct income assistance, or the hostel/transition house operators may be authorized to bill the Ministry directly on a per diem basis at a pre-determined rate. Hostels are licensed through the Community Care Facilities Licensing Board of the Ministry of Health, and hotels, which are sometimes used as hostel resources, are locally approved by Ministry of Human Resources offices. By year-end, the bed capacity available to the Ministry of Human Resources was approximately 650. Cost-sharing—Shelter costs are shared 50:50 with the Federal Government for persons designated by the Federal Government as being "in need." HALFWAY HOUSES Goal—To provide temporary room and board to persons who are "in transition" and who lack financial means—drug and alcohol dependents, persons who have recently left prison or mental institutions. Description—When persons eligible for income assistance reside in halfway houses, their living expenses are covered by the Ministry of Human Resources. Other funds to non-profit societies operating halfway houses designed to meet the needs of specific groups are provided by the appropriate Government ministry. For example, halfway houses for drug addicts and alcoholics received grants directly from the Provincial Alcohol and Drug Commission. In 1976 there were 27 halfway houses in British Columbia licensed by the Community Care Facilities Licensing Board to provide lodging and counselling to persons with drug and (or) alcohol problems. Bed capacity for all halfway houses in the Province stood at approximately 635 by year-end 1976. In contrast to hostels, halfway houses usually provide counselling services and information on other community organizations. Cost-sharing—50:50 sharing with the Federal Government is claimed on expenditures for income assistance recipients who are lodged temporarily in halfway or transition houses. SERVICES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 99 GAIN (GUARANTEED AVAILABLE INCOME FOR NEED) FOR SENIORS AND HANDICAPPED PERSONS Goal—To provide a guaranteed minimum income to senior citizens and handicapped persons to assist them in meeting their everyday living requirements and maintaining their sense of independence and dignity. Description—The GAIN Program provides for residents of the Province aged 60 and over (18 and over if handicapped), a minimum income of $265 per person per month (December 1976 rates). To be eligible for GAIN an individual must meet the following qualifications: (a) Must be aged 60 or over (18 or over if handicapped): (b) Must have five consecutive years' residence in Canada with landed immigrant status, or hold Canadian citizenship: (c) Monthly income must not exceed the GAIN guaranteed level: (d) Assets must not exceed $2,500 if single or $5,000 if married. Persons aged 60 and over in receipt of the Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement or the Spouse's Allowance will receive GAIN automatically if eligible. No application is required. Handicapped individuals and those aged 60 to 64, not in receipt of Spouse's Allowance, must make application for GAIN for Seniors at their nearest office of the Ministry of Human Resources. The following bar graph represents the number of people in receipt of GAIN for Seniors and Handicapped payments in December of 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976. The number of recipients declined somewhat in 1975 and increased in 1976. The Federal Government's Spouses' Allowance accounted for much of the 1975 reduction. This program has now levelled off and increases will now be due solely to numbers in the group becoming eligible for GAIN for Seniors and Handicapped. Figure 13 Total GAIN for Seniors and Handicapped Recipients, 1972 to 1976 110,000 persons 118,000 persons 128,000 persons 122,000 persons 124,000 persons December 1972 December 1973 December 1974 December 1975 December 1976 V 100 HUMAN RESOURCES As mentioned earlier, benefits are paid to handicapped persons or senior citizens whose monthly income does not exceed the GAIN guarantee. The proportion of persons receiving GAIN who are (Group A) handicapped; (Group B) aged 60 and over, not in receipt of Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits, or Spouse's Allowance; or (Group C) 60 and over in receipt of Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits or Spouse's Allowance are depicted in the following pie graph: Figure 14 GAIN Recipients as at December 1976 Handicapped: 10,680 persons Over 60 (not receiving OAS/GIS or Spouse's Allowance): 16,281 persons Over 60 (receiving OAS/GIS or Spouse's Allowance): 97,198 persons REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 101 The number of (Group B) GAIN for Seniors recipients (those aged 60 and over not in receipt of Old Age/Guaranteed Income Supplement or Spouse's Allowance) has steadily risen in previous years; however, due to the introduction of the Federal Spouse's Allowance Program, the total number of recipients dropped for the period July 1975 to December 1975. There is a similar decrease for 1976 which can likely be accounted for both through those receiving Spouse's Allowance rather than GAIN for Seniors, and the asset level requirements as well. Group A and Group B recipients do not qualify for the Federal Old Age Security Pension or Guaranteed Income Supplement; however, the Province recovers 46.6 per cent of Group A costs and 31.4 per cent of Group B costs. The following pie graph shows Ministerial expenditures for the GAIN Program for the month of December 1976: Figure 15 Proportion of Total Expenditure, GAIN for Seniors and Handicapped, December 1976 V 102 HUMAN RESOURCES Figure 16 Number of GAIN for Seniors (60 and Over Not in Receipt of Old Age Security /Guaranteed Income Supplement or Spouse's Allowance) Recipients 20,714 16,281 As at December 1975 As at December 1976 Expenditures by the Ministry of Human Resources for GAIN for Seniors and Handicapped Program are shown in the following table: Table 44—Ministerial Expenditures, GAIN jor Seniors and Handicapped Program, 1972—76 Calendar Year 1976 1975. 1974. Expenditure $ 114,220,370 106,990,000 100,042,000 1 Program commenced December 1972. Calendar Year 1973 19721. Expenditure $ 54,479,000 4,624,000 Cost-sharing—The Federal Government shares in the cost of assistance to those individuals designated as "persons in need" under the Canada Assistance Plan. Under the current agreement, 25.3 per cent of the total Provincial expenditure for GAIN for Seniors and Handicapped is returned to the Province in the form of Federal cost-sharing payments. The Federal Government shares only in the Age Benefit and Handicapped portions of the GAIN Program (Groups A and B). SENIOR CITIZENS COUNSELLOR SERVICE Goal—To provide a counselling and information service to senior citizens by counsellors who are themselves senior citizens. Description—The program began in 1968 with 30 senior citizen counsellors recommended to the Ministry by old-age pensioners' groups. In 1976, there were 140 counsellors throughout British Columbia. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 103 Working as volunteers, the counsellors' interest in other senior citizens involves them in a helping role in a wide variety of activities—driving elderly people for medical appointments; visiting the lonely, providing information, counselling and referral services; advising on Government programs; assisting with the completion of forms; or aiding in the development of programs in the community to meet the special needs of senior citizens. Counsellors are recommended for appointment by regional offices of the Ministry of Human Resources. Effective in 1977, the appointments will be for one year with the possibility of an additional year if indicated. This change will be implemented in recognition of the heavy demands made upon the time and effort of the counsellors and the belief that these responsibilities should be shared between more people in the community. Counsellors submit monthly reports for out-of-pocket expenses, and may be reimbursed up to a maximum of $60 per month. The following table shows expenditures for the Senior Citizens Counsellor Service for the fiscal years 1971/72 through 1975/76 and calendar year 1976: Table 45—Senior Citizens Counsellor Service, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 1976 (calendar) 1975/76 1974/75 63,370 54,874 48,763 1973/74 1972/73 $ 38,074 25,000 1971/72 21,100 The following table gives an estimate of the number of people served by senior citizen counsellors. Table 46—Numbers oj Persons Served by Senior Citizen Counsellors, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1971/72 to 1975/76 Number of Number of Persons Persons 1976 (calendar) 70,000 1973/74 49,000 1975/76 66,750 1972/73 44,200 1974/75 57,000 1971/72 37,600 Cost-sharing—The Federal Government shares in the cost of this program on a 50:50 basis. For more information about the program, contact your local Ministry of Human Resources office or the Community Programs Division, Ministry of Human Resources, Parliament Buildings, Victoria. V 104 HUMAN RESOURCES B.C. HYDRO BUS PASS FOR SENIORS AND HANDICAPPED PERSONS Goal—To aid and encourage mobility among seniors and handicapped persons. Description—Bus passes are issued to (1) persons 65 years of age and over who are in receipt of GAIN for Seniors and (or) a Federal Guaranteed Income Supplement to their basic Old Age Pension, (2) persons 60 to 64 years of age who are in receipt of GAIN for Seniors Age Benefits, and (3) persons 18 to 59 years of age in receipt of GAIN for Handicapped Persons. The pass is issued semi-annually from December 1 to May 31 and from June 1 to November 30. The cost is $5 for all or part of each six-month issuing period. No fare is necessary when travelling on B.C. Hydro urban vehicles in Victoria and the Greater Vancouver area. Approximately 2,500 first-time applications are processed each issue. It is anticipated that the program will continue to grow at its present steady rate. The following table shows the number of passes issued in the last eight issuing periods: Table 47—Number oj B.C. Hydro Bus Passes Issued December 1976 29,543 December 1974 25,428 June 1976 28,718 lune 1974 23,000 December 1975 27,9701 November 1973 20,570 June 1975 26,685 May 1973 18,657 i Revision of 1975 Annual Report estimated figure. Cost-sharing—Administrative costs of this program are borne by the Ministry of Human Resources. All revenue occurring as a result of the $5 charge is remitted to B.C. Hydro. The Federal Government does not participate in this program. ADULT CARE Goal—To subsidize those elderly or handicapped persons who must be cared for outside their own homes, and whose income is insufficient to meet the need, and to encourage the development of appropriate resources for this purpose among private societies and the private sector. Description—The Ministry estimates that 2 per cent of persons over 65 years of age in the Province require extended care, while a further 5 per cent require personal and intermediate care. Rates paid to institutions on behalf of persons requiring care vary with the intensity of care required. A definition of the types of care subsidized by the Ministry of Human Resources follows: REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 105 Table 48—Definition oj Types of Care in British Columbia Subsidized by the Ministry of Human Resources TYPE 1—PERSONAL CARE This is the type of care required by persons of any age whose physical disabilities are such that their primary need is for room and board, limited lay supervision, assistance with some of the activities of daily living, and a planned program of social and recreational activities. It is also the type of care required by persons with mild mental disorders who primarily require room and board and limited lay supervision in a supportive environment. Facilities providing Type 1 care have usually been called rest homes or boarding-homes. The term "personal care home" is new, being used by both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Human Resources. TYPE 2—INTERMEDIATE CARE This is the type of care required by persons of any age whose physical disabilities are such that their primary need is for room and board, daily professional nursing supervision, and (or) psychiatric supervision, assistance with some of the activities of daily living, and a planned program of social and recreational activities. It is also the type of care required by persons with mental disorders who primarily require room and board, daily professional supervision by a person with appropriate psychiatric training, and a program designed to assist them to reach their maximum potential in the activities of daily living. Facilities providing Type 2 care are called intermediate care homes by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Human Resources. PRIVATE HOSPITAL NURSING-HOME CARE This type of facility provides care to persons of any age with a severe chronic disability, which has usually produced a functional deficit, who require skilled 24-hour-a-day nursing services and continuing medical supervision. Most people who need this type of care have a limited potential for rehabilitation and often require institutional care on a permanent basis. Extended-care hospitals provide this type of care, through the British Columbia Medical Plan, at a charge of $1 per day (December 1976 rate). Private hospitals provide the care at up to $900 per month to persons who are unable to find a vacancy in an extended-care hospital. At year-end the Ministry of Human Resources was paying $750 per month to private hospitals, on behalf of patients with insufficient income. RATES AUTHORIZED At year-end the rate paid to private operators for eligible persons requiring personal care was $340 per month, ranging up to $500 per month for intermediate care. The rate for an adult in a private hospital was $750 per month. Eligible residents of personal and intermediate care facilities operated by non-profit societies were subsidized to assist them to purchase their care at a rate approved by the Director, Special Care for Adults, Ministry of Human Resources. Eligibility for subsidy in adult care facilities is the same as eligibility for social assistance, except that assets of no more than $1,500 for a single person and $2,500 for married couples are allowable. Any assets in excess of these amounts must be used to pay costs of the person's care. V 106 HUMAN RESOURCES Requests to the local Human Resources offices for referral of patients to care facilities are made by relatives, friends, doctors, staff at acute care hospitals, and other members of the community. Local Ministerial staff are responsible for reviewing each application and are charged with making placements in the most appropriate facility. The patient contributes to care costs to the extent his income permits, the balance of the cost being provided by the Ministry of Human Resources. A monthly comforts allowance of up to $25 is paid to residents of adult care facilities whose personal assets do not exceed $500. Ministerial programs such as Meals on Wheels and Homemaker/Housekeeper Services play a role in helping the elderly or handicapped person who wishes to remain at home. Details of these programs may be found elsewhere in this Report. The following table gives expenditures and numbers of persons subsidized in adult care facilities by the Ministry of Human Resources for calendar year 1976 and fiscal years 1972/73 to 1975/76: Table 49—Adult Care Expenditures and Number of Persons Assisted by the Ministry of Human Resources, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Years 1972/73 to 1975/76 Private Hospital Care (Nursing-home) Estimated Number Expenditure of Persons Assisted ($ million) per Month (Average) 1976 9,042,050 2,000 1975/76 6,727,770 2,600 1974/75 5,120,742 2,300 1973/74 5,523,189 1,350 1972/73 2,537,450 1,400 Personal and Intermediate Care (Board and Rest Homes)1 1976 18,901,985 13,000 1975/76 14,064,092 13,000 1974/75 10,426,930 10,000 1973/74 5,160,263 3,600 1972/73 4,908,706 3,300 i Excludes New Denver Pavilion and Ponderosa Lodge, Kamloops. There have been substantial increases in Ministerial expenditures in 1976 for adult care. Higher operating costs of these facilities through unionization of personnel, a general rise in the cost of living, and increases in the minimum wage are among the reasons. Cost-sharing—The cost of subsidies for adult care are shared 50 per cent by the Federal Government for persons designated as being "in need." PHARMACARE Goal—To provide assistance in purchasing prescriptions to those individuals and families with limited financial means, and to provide free prescription drugs to senior citizens aged 65 and over and to eligible income assistance recipients. REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 107 Description—Pharmacare is of particular benefit to the senior citizens of British Columbia; of the 266,000 senior citizens in the Province, more than half have no taxable income. Approximately 30 per cent of the elderly suffer from one or more chronic diseases or conditions, many of which can be controlled or alleviated by the proper use of drugs. Before establishment of this program in 1974 the expense of proper medication represented a heavy burden for the elderly. Accounting for less than 10 per cent of our population, the elderly received 22 per cent of all prescriptions and accounted for over 28 per cent of all drug expenditures. Following the lead of British Columbia, most other provinces have instituted free drug programs for the elderly, and 90 per cent of Canada's senior citizens are now covered by a provincial drug plan. Normal professional services of physicians and pharmacists are extended to Pharmacare recipients in an identical manner to that enjoyed by all citizens. A higher number of prescriptions are being filled for elderly citizens than was the case prior to Pharmacare. This, however, was a prime consideration in establishing the program, as many elderly citizens avoided having a prescription filled due to the cost factors. Failure to obtain necessary medication meant incomplete therapy and possible waste of the medical and (or) hospital care already provided. Pharmacare administers three drug programs, each benefiting a different group of people. Plan A—Any person who has resided in the Province of British Columbia for 90 days or more and who is 65 years of age or more is entitled to receive free oj charge any drug prescribed by a physician upon presentation of a Pharmacare card to the pharmacist filling the prescription. Any person 65 years or over registered with one of the Province's medical insurance carriers (the British Columbia Medical Plan, the Medical Services Association, and the CU & C Health Services Society) is automatically provided with a Pharmacare card. Plan B—Plan B was formerly known as the "British Columbia Prescription Drug Subsidy Plan" and it subsidizes the cost of prescription drugs for eligible persons. Any person who has resided in the Province for at least 12 months who was not required to pay income tax in the previous year and who has completed an acceptable declaration to that effect for one of the Province's medical insurance carriers is eligible for benefits under Plan B. The dependents of the head of a household who can meet the requirements outlined above are also eligible. The beneficiary of Plan B is required to pay the first $2 of the cost of each prescription plus half the balance. Plan B pays the remainder of the cost. In other words, if a prescription costs $5, the beneficiary is required to pay $3.50 and Plan B will pay $1.50. Plan C—Plan C is designed to provide eligible persons (exclusive of senior citizens) in receipt of financial assistance from the Ministry of Human Resources with their prescription drugs free of charge. As a general rule, the persons eligible for benefits under Plan C are those persons in receipt of financial assistance from the Ministry of Human Resources because of inability to work or, in the case of single parents, those persons who must stay home to care for their young children. The person who is able to work, but who is temporarily in receipt of financial assistance because of unemployment, is not eligible for these benefits. The drug benefits are identical under the three plans and include all prescription drugs. V 108 HUMAN RESOURCES The following table presents figures on the number of persons registered for benefits in the three plans: Table 50—Numbers of Persons Served by Pharmacare in 1976 Number of Plan Persons A 266,000 B 225,000 C 100,000 Total 591,000 Ministerial expenditures for the Pharmacare Program are as follows: Table 51—Pharmacare, Ministerial Expenditures, Calendar Year 1976 and Fiscal Year 1975/76 Plan A Plan B Plan C Total $ $ $ $ 1976 20,411,560 749,827 4,758,126 25,919,513 1975/76 18,684,858 517,594 4,439,895 23,642,347 About 32,000 more persons were covered by Pharmacare in 1976 than in 1975. Cost-sharing—At present, only the costs under Plan C are shared with the Federal Government. Plans A and B are financed entirely by the Government of British Columbia. COMMUNITY GRANTS TO PROJECTS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS As part of the Ministry's Community Grants Program, a number of grants were made to senior citizens' centres and projects in 1976. These centres provide information, counselling, and a place for seniors to drop in for group recreation and socializing. The following programs were funded in 1976: Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Armstrong: $ Armstrong Old Timers Drop In Centre (capital grant) 11,957 Bridesville: Bridesville Senior Citizens Service (capital grant) 2,000 Campbell River: Campbell River Old Age Pensioners Activity Centre 3,645 Cowichan: Regional District of Cowichan Valley Activity Centre (percentage) 4,8871 Lake Cowichan Activity Centre (percentage) 2,799 * North Shore: North Shore Adult Day Care Service 34,065 North Shore Silver Harbour Manor Society 71,145 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 109 Amount Granted, Name of Project and Location 1976 Osoyoos: $ Osoyoos Senior Citizens Association (capital grant) 1,292 Penticton: Penticton Retirement Centre 21,072 Revelstoke: City of Revelstoke—Senior Citizens Drop-In Centre (capital grant) 15,333 Salmon Arm: Salmon Arm Senior Citizens Centre (capital grant) 8,836 Victoria: Victoria Silver Threads Service 98,752 Total 275,783 i The figure shown indicates a proportion of the total grant that was applied to these particular programs. LEGISLATION ACTS ADMINISTERED BY THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES Ministry of Human Resources Act (R.S.B.C. 1960, chap. Ill, as amended)— This Act establishes the Ministry of Human Resources as having jurisdiction over all matters relating to social and public welfare and income assistance. Children oj Unmarried Parents Act (R.S.B.C. 1960, chap. 52, as amended)— This Act is to ensure that the interests of the mother and her child born out of wedlock are protected. Adoption Act (R.S.B.C. 1960, chap. 4, as amended)—The purpose of this Act is to provide the same rights and privileges for adopted children as those of children born to both parents in a family. Provincial Home Act, 19691 (S.B.C. 1969, chap. 29) —The purpose of this Act is to provide care for persons who are unable to maintain themselves by their own efforts. Protection oj Children Act (R.S.B.C. 1960, chap. 303, as amended) —The purpose of this Act is to provide protection and care for children who are neglected, abused, abandoned, or without proper supervision or guardianship. Amendments to the Act in 1974 provide for increased reporting and investigating requirements in regard to battered children and lay representation on panels in hearings. Human Resources Facilities Development Act (S.B.C. 1974, chap. 39)—The purpose of this Act is to provide development grants to municipalities, societies, and the boards established under the Community Resources Boards Act. Community Resources Boards Act (S.B.C. 1974, chap. 18)—This Act provides for greater local control over the administration of social services. Guaranteed Available Income jor Need Act (GAIN) (S.B.C. 1976, chap. 19) —This Act was introduced during 1976 to replace the Social Assistance Act, the Handicapped Persons' Income Assistance Act, and the Guaranteed Minimum Income Assistance Act. The GAIN provides a guaranteed minimum income to senior citizens and handicapped persons, and to individuals and families who are unable to maintain themselves through their own efforts. i This Act has been inoperative since the Provincial Home in Kamloops was closed early in 1975. Residents were transfered to Ponderosa Lodge, an intermediate-care facility built by the Provincial Government. FISCAL ADDENDUM, 1975/76 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 113 Table 52—Proportion oj Total Gross Welfare Expenditures 1974/75 1975/76 Value Per Cent Value Per Cent Administration (includes Minister's Office and part of Accounting Division) . .. . $ 2,988,918 18,300,929 1,847,904 0.8 4.7 0.5 0.8 11.8 5.6 49.7 26.1 $ 3,720,198 33,486,8631 882,494 0.8 Field Service 7.1 Summer Employment Program 0.2 Provincial Alliance of Businessmen Institutions... 2,925,991 45,726,474 21,493,154 191,963,094 100,970,347 29,323,8872 45,739,531 30,744,687 180,402,5583 147,843,248 6.2 Maintenance of dependent children (includes New Denver Youth Centre) 9.7 Medical services, drugs, etc Social Allowances, work activity projects, and burials 6.5 38.2 Mincome and allowances for aged and handicapped 31.3 Totals.. 386,216,811 100.0 472,143,466* 100.0 Municipal share of costs 18,830,239 123,943,048 1.073.616 30,165, 183,096, 1,015, 337 Federal-Provincial cost-sharing—• Canada Assistance Plan 091 Department of Indian Affairs 433 i Includes VRB and Community Resource Boards. 2 Includes Woodlands, Tranquille, and Glendale. 3 Includes community grants and assistance for the retarded. * Does not include $654,910 re Alcohol and Drug Commission. V 114 HUMAN RESOURCES Table 53—Number of Cases by Category of Service,1 as at March 31, 1975 and 1976 Category Region 3— Okanagan Region 4— Kootenays Region 5— Prince George/ Cariboo Region 6— Fraser Valley Region 7— Prince Rupert/ Bulkley Valley Region 8— North and South Peace River Region 9— Kamloops Mainline Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. Mar. 1975 1976 1 Family Service Income assistance— Single person Couple Two-parent family One-parent family Child with relative 436 1,462 215 553 1,370 131 398 1,609 215 470 1,503 161 178 1,560 148 397 1,035 156 240 1,326 158 404 1,029 137 360 1,810 224 906 1,424 199 270 1,779 253 794 1,609 211 263 2,039 209 717 1,600 154 229 2,467 204 628 1,701 163 182 545 69 243 439 240 301 571 57 226 508 230 90 486 72 251 534 108 97 521 73 194 539 95 274 1,350 192 576 1,113 147 173 1,284 125 362 1,143 122 Income assistance totals... 4,167|4,356 1 3,474|3,294 1 4,923 4,916 4,982 5,392 1,718 1,893 1,541 1,519 3,652 3,209 Category Region 10— Vancouver Island North of Malahat Region 11 —Capital Regional District Region 12— Fraser South Region 13 ■—Fraser North Region 14— North Vancouver Region 15— Vancouver Totals Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Mar. 1975 Mar. 1976 Family Service Income assistance— Single person 350 3,099 449 926 1,951 258 322 3,000 349 943 2,176 274 598 3,414 327 621 1,785 101 551 3,479 284 521 1,904 121 628 1,453 107 612 1,882 81 458 1,841 108 629 2,254 136 663 2,193 162 479 2,126 133 602 2,387 175 443 1,952 131 197 896 66 150 663 40 295 974 72 136 695 45 1,042 9,155 462 748 3,875 166 2,178 8,466 269 513 3,743 40 5,261 29,462 2,702 7,179 19,797 1,914 6,114 29,704 2,342 Two-parent family. One-parent family Child with relative 6,263 20,756 1,866 Income assistance total- 7,033 7,064 6,846 6,860 4,763 5,426 5,756 5,690 2,012 2,217 15,448 13,031 66,3151 64,867 1 Source: Case Load Report Form W2. Table 54—Selected Expenditures for Income Assistance, 1975/76 Basic income assistance 150,361,575 Repatriation, transportation within the Province, nursing and boarding-home care, special allowances and grants 32,482 Housekeeper and homemaker services 7,000,155 Emergency payments 37,895 Hospitalization of income assistance recipients 285,176 Total 157,717,283 Table 55- Category Heads of families Single persons -Average Monthly Number Receiving Income Assistance During 1974/75 and 1975/76 Total case load (average) 53,284 Dependents Average monthly total Average Case Load and Recipients per Month 1974/75 1975/76 25,432 30,427 27,852 13,993 53,284 44,420 58,408 69,138 111,692 113,558 REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 115 Table 56—Gross Costs of Medical Services for Fiscal Years 1966-76 Year Medical Drugs1 Dental Optical Transportation Other Total $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1966/67 2,422,702 2,095,733 670,580 118,003 183,285 48,723 5,539,026 1967/68 2,344,676 2,157,182 733,979 145,588 187,357 50,524 5,659,306 1968/69 1,403,378 2,423,798 792,475 140,591 212,550 53,571 5,026,363 1969/70 465,738 2,444,968 1,611,115 219,858 252,999 72,862 5,067,540 1970/71 591,206 3,102,874 2,491,589 282,272 326,166 121,892 6,915,999 1971/72 614,365 3,334,159 2,403,257 290,116 342,712 165,980 7,150,589 1972/73 677,194 3,626,268 2,429,538 304,695 367,888 264,700 7,670,283 1973/74 634,136 6,461,4002 2,655,573 322,489 419,451 328,510 10,821,559 1974/75 754,422 17,303,8923 2,380,266 409,213 387,554 257,808 21,493,154 1975/76 1,099,479 23,642,347* 4,209,007 486,080 374,850 310,623 30,122,386 1 Included in these figures is the cost of drugs purchased by the dispensary for welfare institutions. 2 Includes drug costs incurred in the Pharmacare Program in the last three months of the fiscal year 1973/74. (Pharmacare Program commenced January 1, 1974.) 3 Includes costs under the Pharmacare Program as well as drugs purchased by the dispensary for welfare institutions. * Includes operating costs of the Provincial Pharmacy only. For Pharmacare costs, see Table 51. Table 57—Cost of Maintaining Children in Care, Fiscal Year 1975/76 The cost to Provincial Government of maintaining children for the fiscal year was as follows: Gross cost of maintenance of children in the care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare (excluding Vancouver)— $ $ Foster homes 8,657,253 Other residential resources 16,561,781 Receiving special services 3,294,171 28,513,205 Gross cost to Provincial Government of maintenance of children in care of Vancouver Resources Board 7,422,0061 Gross cost of transportation of children in care of Superintendent of Child Welfare Gross cost of hospitalization of new-born infants being permanently planned for by the Superintendent of Child Welfare Gross expenditures 379,369 72,991 36,387,571 Less collections 7,13 8,767 Net cost to Provincial Government as per Public Accounts 29,248,804 1 Gross cost for maintenance of children in care of Children's Aid Societies, Vancouver, in 1974/75 was $16,165,257, but this included the operating costs of these societies. Operating costs for Vancouver Resources Board do not show in this Report. V 116 HUMAN RESOURCES t-1 a « p*^ e !?« <pU Ik _*: •gso a "-< I- 1 § IS I* (J S p\> 00 8 c o ■x>c^,<tso>or-sor^os(S'-H'*t r- m oo VOOOpHPPtTjppOOSTf^^PptW HV1PO t^p^mmcoppOpowNsor^so oooop-HO"^ip^Hoor^.p—pvir^so rrir* p-h in «-. «-. os -^ OS oo M CO o2£ A, ■sl-sfs o ■< fl« £ 5 'pt'Osposr^rsoor^'p-p'O'Xjrtppi- Tt <S rt -^ ts rt rt 0000—t-p-l-OC-'SOOSOrtpOsppl- -rt mnpOp-pmoomtPipHtN ■^"^j-rttNir^rp-iOsr^soprtin-rt rp)rtt-tsm>mts'nso-*ppptrt t^-t^OOPrttosSO-rt-^trp-lOOrtSO ■rtrtSOtSp-HP—ltn'PPt*PPt'^l-,,t Host^pHHPC*pt\oopnoopN o^o^pHhwomooooh rtrttpstnrt tst^tscsiN O rt Tf m -p* o r^-p^tinmoo'orpnp^t^oO'-^ MOH(PlloOPPO-pf»POpHO ph p-PtNiN rt tNfp-StStNtSrt SO Os —i ^ rt o •<■_■ rt > 3 0 U C g "§2 g' ■ SE ! ° ■ i 60' c ■a c w -^ S O ■rt > ■ _. OpHfNM-pt fnppp"i-»nsor-*ooosrtrtrtrtrt cgncdpaccccdd Q o o p o o o o _o _o q o li rt o to a rt C _- 9 §> 3 *-> &o *5b 'So *5b '5b "So 'So 'So 'So 'So 'So 'Sib oooooooaJOtuosTj'-j s -a 8 2 p- . X) S 8 g u 9 " O J3 9 _f — ft. . c o tl O A o ■2 s a. ■S o 8 S a* » w:5 M <U CO i il » . I a •5 So .S S.-S rt 3 3. Pp pn & S • la ■= ■t JO g.„-S3 o ""rt ij rt ill 5 So* c I •§ § a f o « s£ 5 p- O rt 3 g;-a>po " » -2 -a U £ •9 » a « S « cd <--£ *o "S c ________ Im Ml OJ "O « c c ■0:3 o — •" c Jd a> * ■» i^ o ^ u ■s r ^ ____> n go"-5" PU !g OS * bo - a, »•! i »'S « * >>£ s SS n ft. .S « O PH P" > e c o u tj ^. -o ^ ^ I §2 I „ a °" « 81 8=*"g il - s -: o c *" — ./■ 1- u •5 §s 3- •3 — 3 O - .E 2 "♦ 5 0 S a-^ .2 S ° * .2 g y 9 8 3 j: ute ■_. «H MW g pHeiw * o REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 V 117 Table 59—Number of Children in Care and Legal Responsibility of the Superintendent of Child Welfare, by Type of Care, as at March 31,1976 Supervised by— Type of Care Ministry of Human Resources Vancouver Resources Board Total Paid foster-home care 5,174 196 843 326 1,651 152 896 23 139 85 346 28 6,070 Boarding-home, child maintains self 219 Free home and free relatives' (or parents') home- Adoption home Resources1 982 411 1,997 AWOL 180 Totals 8,342 1,517 9,859 i This covers a wide variety of placements ranging from subsidized receiving-homes to Federal institutions. Table 60—Children in Care and Legal Responsibility of the Superintendent of Child Welfare, by Age-group, as at March 31,1976 Age-group Ministry of Human Resources Vancouver Resources Board 516 152 595 151 2,305 306 2,807 441 1,599 319 520 148 Total Under 3 years 3-5 years, inclusive 6-11 years, inclusive 12-15 years, inclusive.. 16-17 years, inclusive.. 18 years Totals.. 8,342 1,517 668 746 2,611 3,248 1,918 668 9,859 Table 61—Number of Children Placed for Adoption by the Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board for Fiscal Years 1974/75 and 1975/76 Ministry of Human Resources Vancouver Resources Board ... J74/75 1975/76 604 648 153 103 Totals 757 751 The following tables are available, on request, from the Division of Office Administration and Public Information, Ministry of Human Resources, Victoria: Table 62—Number of Family Service Cases (Not in Receipt of Financial Assistance from the Ministry of Human Resources) Served by the Ministry of Human Resources During the Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 63—Number of Unmarried Mothers Served by Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board for Fiscal Year 1975/76 Table 64—Number of Children Born Out of Wedlock in British Columbia, by Age-group of Mother, During Fiscal Years 1974/75 and 1975/76. V 118 HUMAN RESOURCES Table 65—Cases Receiving Services from Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board Related to Social Investigation Requests, by Type of Service, for Fiscal Years 1974/75 and 1975/76. Table 66—Number of Children in Care of Superintendent of Child Welfare During and at End of Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 67—Number of Children Admitted to Care of Superintendent of Child Welfare by Legal Status, During Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 68—Reasons for New Admissions of Children to Care of Superintendent of Child Welfare During Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 69—Number of Children Discharged from Care of Superintendent of Child Welfare by Legal Status During Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 70—Reasons for Discharge of Children in Care of Superintendent of Child Welfare for Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 71—Children Who Are Legal Responsibility of Superintendent of Child Welfare Receiving Institutional Care as at March 31, 1976. Table 72—Number of Adoption Placements Made by Ministry of Human Resources, by Regions, and Vancouver Resources Board, by Type of Placement, for Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 73—Number of Adoption Placements Made by Ministry of Human Resources, by Regions, and Vancouver Resources Board, by Religion of Adopting Parents, for Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 74—Ages of Children Placed for Adoption by Ministry of Human Resources and Vancouver Resources Board During Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 75—Number of Legally Completed Adoptions, by Type of Placement, by Regions, and by Vancouver Resources Board, During Fiscal Year 1975/76. Table 76—Total Number of Persons Eligible for Health Care as at December 31, 1966 to 1976. Table 77—Payments to British Columbia Doctors (Gross Costs), 1966/67 to 1975/76. Table 78—Dental Expenses, 1966/67 to 1975/76. Printed by K. M. MacDonald, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of the Province of British Columbia. 1977 4,030-1077-3493
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SERVICES FOR PEOPLE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES HON. WILLIAM N. VANDER ZALM 1976… British Columbia. Legislative Assembly 1977
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Title | SERVICES FOR PEOPLE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES HON. WILLIAM N. VANDER ZALM 1976 With Fiscal Addendum April 1, 1975, to March 31, 1976 |
Alternate Title | REPORT OF THE MINISTRY, 1976 |
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British Columbia. Legislative Assembly |
Publisher | Victoria, BC : Government Printer |
Date Issued | 1977 |
Genre |
Legislative proceedings |
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Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Identifier | J110.L5 S7 1977_V01_18_V1_V118 |
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Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia |
Source | Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia |
Date Available | 2019-03-11 |
Provider | Vancouver: University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia |
CatalogueRecord | http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198 |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0377979 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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